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ADVANCED    SUGGESTION 

(NEUROINDUCTION) 


ADVANCED    SUGGESTION 

(NEUROINDUCTION) 


BY 

HAYDN    BROWN,    L.R.C.P.,   Etc.,    Edin. 

Fellow  or  the  Royal  Society  of  Medicine 


NEW  YORK 

WILLIAM   WOOD   AND   COMPANY 

MDCCCCXIX 


VfU<<^ 


J 


PREFACE 

This  book  is  small — suggesting  that  larger  ones  shall 
follow.  It  is  rather  in  the  nature  of  a  guide  which 
shall  help  others  on  the  way  than  a  text-book.  Nor 
can  it  be  considered  perfect,  for  a  vast  amount  of  work 
on  new  lines,  compressed  into  a  few  years,  over  a  large 
field  of  investigation,  will  hardly  permit  this. 

Therefore,  I  hope  for  much  patience.  All  I  desire 
from  readers,  critics,  and  reviewers  is  that  they  shall 
scan  these  pages  very  seriously,  and  with  an  open 
mind,  for  I  have  earnestly  endeavoured  to  put  before 
them  what  I  have  confidence  will  be  found  helpful 
material  in  furtherance  of  medical  science. 


HAYDN    BROWN. 


15,  Cavendish  Place, 
London, 

September  25,  1918. 


2.^3 


CONTENTS 


I.  Provisional  Psychology   -  -  -        i 

II.  Some  Object  Lessons       -  -  -        9 

III.  Neuroses     -  -  -  -  •      ^9 

Insomnia,  psychasthenia,  hysteria,  phobias, 
dysphagia,  stammering,  etc.,  speech- 
fright,  epilepsy,  chorea,  somnambulism, 
night  terrors,  neuralgia,  migraine,  epilep- 
tiform attacks,  vertigo,  tics. 

IV.  Disorders    of    Urination    and    of    the 

Organs  of  Generation  -  -      97 

Masturbation,  perversion  and  inversion,  im- 
potency,  excess,  urination. 

V,  Psychoses   -  -  -  .  .     106 

Dementia  praecox,  borderline  cases,  melan- 
cholia, suicidal  inclinations,  depression, 
obsession,  high  blood-pressure  (see  also 
Heart). 

VI.  Restoring  Function  in  Special  Senses     123 

Smell,  taste,  hearing,  sight,  colour-blindness. 

VII.  Disorders  of  the  Alimentary  Tract     -     134 

Dyspepsia,  constipation,  mucous  colitis, 
diarrhoea,  food  distaste  and  craving, 
sea-sickness,  vomiting  of  pregnancy. 

VIII.  Heart  and  Circulation    -  -  -     155 

Flushing,  tachycardia,  sweating,  irregular 
action,  high  blood-pressure. 

IX.  Pulmonary  -  -  -  -  -     161 

Asthma,  hay-asthma,  phthisis, 
vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

CHAl-TER  PAGE 

X.  Disorders  of  Gland  Functioning        -     176 

Glycosuria,  Graves*  disease,  myxcedema. 

XL  Stimulant  and  Drug-taking  to  Excess     190 

Dipsomania,  medicine  mania,  morphine 
and  cocaine  taking,  excessive  smoking. 

XII.  Surgical  -  -  -  -  -     198 

Haemorrhoids,  varicose  veins,  prolapsus, 
painful  joints,  nasal  thickenings,  in- 
flammation, contractures. 

XIII,  Skin  Disorders   -  -  -  -     204 

Pemphigus,  urticaria,  erythema,  eczema, 
etc. 

XIV.  Morbid  Growths  -  -  -     219 

A  study  of  effects  in  cancer,  fibroids, 
warts. 

XV.  Gyn/ecology  .  .  -  -    239 

Menstrual,  parturition,  mastitis,  milk 
secretion. 

XVI.  Criminal  Inclinations    -  -  -     244 

Kleptomania,  homicide,  personal  assaults, 
suffragism. 

XVII.  Early  Moral  and  Educational  -    257 

XVIII.  Cases  Incidental  to  War  -  -     267 

XIX.  Notes  on  Psychology,  Rationale  and 

Technique       ....     269 

XX.  Thought  Analysis  -  -  -    290 

XXI.  Some  Golden  Rules  for  the  Practice 

OF  Psychotherapy      -  -  -     302 

XXII.  On  Failures         ....    315 

XXIII.  The  Future         -  .  -  -    324 


ADVANCED    SUGGESTION 

CHAPTER  I 

PROVISIONAL   PSYCHOLOGY 

During  the  past  two  decades  the  science  of  Psycho- 
therapy has  not  advanced  as  far  as  it  should  have 
done  in  the  direction  of  general  acceptation.  There 
may  be  several  reasons  for  this,  but  I  will  refer  to  one  in 
particular :  the  study  was  originally  founded  chiefly 
upon  the  phenomena  of  so-called  hypnotism,  which, 
while  it  was  not  sufficiently  understood,  was  looked 
upon  as  something  mysterious,  occult,  and  in  certain 
directions  powerful,  and  therefore  as  a  thing  to  be 
viewed  by  everybody  with  awe,  and  by  many  medical 
observers  with  a  disposition  to  avoid  it  entirely. 

Like  most  new  things,  the  hypnotism  of  the  earlier 
writers  was  vigorously  opposed  as  a  therapeutic 
agency — and  all  the  more  so  because  it  was  almost 
wholly  questionable,  and  in  any  case  inexplicable.  I 
first  began  to  be  interested  in  psychotherapy  in  1887, 
when,  in  association  with  some  fellow-students,  I  con- 
ducted a  few  experiments.  In  1893  I  felt  obHged  to 
try  "suggestion"  in  a  case  of  "stammering"  bladder, 
which  had  defied  all  other  treatments.  It  proved 
successful.     Not  only  did  this  instance  arouse  Httle 

I 


4  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

interest  among  medical  friends,  but  I  was  seriously 
advised  not  to  continue  such  a  study. 

In  1908,  however,  I  exchanged  scienti&c  ideas  with 
Dr.  Lloyd  Tuckey,  which  resulted  in  my  studying 
"  suggestion  "  in  a  more  serious  and  determined  mood, 
in  the  rooted  belief  that  there  was  great  work  to  be 
done  in  medicine  by  its  aid.  I  resolved  to  continue 
the  work  of  investigation  where  others  had  left  off, 
realizing  that  it  was  necessary  to  find  out  more  about 
the  nature  of  the  various  phenomena  of  suggestion. 
I  considered  that  it  would  not  be  sufficient  merely  to 
secure  certain  effects,  but  that  I  ought  to  delve  as 
deeply  as  possible  into  the  rationale  of  the  matter, 
first  because  I  was  likely  to  go  further  the  better  I 
came  to  understand  the  scientific  processes  at  work 
in  studying  cause  and  effect,  and,  secondly,  because 
I  might  all  the  better  be  able  to  teach  others  such 
technique  as  I  might  happen  upon,  or  work  out, 
through  a  vast  number  of  widely  applied  experi- 
ments— always  directed  towards  diseases  or  disorders 
that  presented  extreme  difficulties.  I  soon  found  that 
hypnotism  was  simply  a  kind  of  raw  material,  a  pitch- 
blende, so  to  speak,  not  of  much  use  in  itself,  but  from 
the  study  of  which  it  would  be  possible  to  make  a 
very  valuable  alternative.  I  ultimately  found  neuro- 
induction,  which  is  quite  easy  to  understand  and  to 
employ ;  it  is  also  without  disadvantages  of  any  sort. 

I  have  studied  under  conditions  which  afforded  me 
great  privileges,  in  that  I  have  had,  during  the  past 
nine  years,  to  encounter  absolutely  the  most  puzzling 


PROVISIONAL  PSYCHOLOGY  3 

problems  to  be  found  in  the  consulting-rooms  of  the 
specialists.  Thus  I  have  wasted  no  time  in  dealing 
with  a  glut  of  trivial  ailments. 

Now,  anything  new  or  improved  in  therapeutics  is 
likely  to  elicit  the  question,  How  is  it  done?  This 
book  sets  out  to  teach  and  explain.  Medical  readers 
must  naturally  be  just  as  eager  to  do,  actually,  as  to 
learn  what  can  be  done.  But  conversations  with 
friends  have  usually  ended,  of  necessity,  in  my  offer- 
ing the  self-defensive  explanation  that  one  can  only 
teach  certain  accomplishments  up  to  a  certain  point. 
The  best  book  in  the  world  will  not  teach  proficiency 
either  in  piano-playing,  golf,  black-and-white  drawing, 
or  surgery.  In  such  matters  a  book  may  guide,  but 
it  is  only  practice  that  will  bring  proficiency.  No 
teacher  of  golf  can  ever  tell  a  pupil  very  much  more 
than  this,  that  he  had  better  not  "press";  the  pupil 
must  find  out  for  himself  what  the  teacher  really  means 
by  this.  Similarly,  when  I  teach  what  full  physio- 
logical relaxation  should  be,  I  expect  readers  to 
realise  what  is  fully  meant  by  the  term  by  experimenta- 
tion upon  themselves  and  upon  others. 

Psychotherapy  is  easy,  and  difficult — ^just  as  is 
surgery.  Lancing  an  abscess  with  a  sharp-pointed 
bistoury  is  easy ;  operating  amidst  a  mass  of  abdominal 
adhesions  will  usually  be  difficult. 

In  order  to  prove  the  bona  fides  of  my  offer  to  teach, 
as  expressed  in  these  pages,  and  to  indicate  the 
sincerity  of  my  intentions  and  of  my  desire  that  as 
many  as  possible  shall  learn  how  to  carry  out  my 


4  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

principles — for  the  benefit  of  the  commonweal — and 
above  all  to  prove  how  simple  is  the  technique,  essen- 
tially  and   primarily — as   simple   as   a    good   knife 
operating  in  a  capable  hand — I  hereby  make  the  offer 
to  give  demonstrations  before  suitably  organised  meet- 
ings of  medical  men,  and  to  afford  the  fullest  explana- 
tions that  I  am  capable  of  giving.     I  make  this  offer 
in  every  confidence  that  the  work  will  thence  make 
very  rapid  progress  in  the  hands  of  a  large  number  of 
the  profession,   and  will  thus  not  only  enormously 
advance  general  therapy  in  its  dealings  with  many 
kinds  of  disorders,  but  will  eliminate,  through  pure 
force  of  scientific  advancement,  a  very  great  deal  of 
the  existing  lay-practice   and   charlatanry  which  is 
carried  out  by  bone-setters,  Christian  scientists,  and 
"clairvoyant  healers" — the  very  existence  of  whom 
really  constitutes  a  scathing  criticism  upon  the  short- 
comings of  the  profession  in  the  study  and  applica- 
tion of  treatment  by  suggestion. 

This  book  refers  to  advanced  work ;  but  many  will 
read  it  who  are  not  initiated,  and  who  wish  to  make 
a  beginning.  I  strongly  advise  the  latter  to  read 
some  previous  works  on  psychotherapy — such  as 
Dr.  Lloyd  Tuckey's  "  Hypnotism  "  and  Dr.  Constance 
Long's  translations  of  Jung's  works — before  begin- 
ning this  book,  and  also  to  read  Chapter  XIX.  of 
this  book  before  the  other  chapters — that  is  to  say, 
after  reading  this  opening  chapter. 

By  neuroinduction  I  mean  neurone  induction,  both 
of  brain  and  body — central  and  peripheral — through- 


PROVISIONAL  PSYCHOLOGY  5 

out.  It  is  impossible  to  neuroinduct  locally,  in  any 
individual,  without  obtaining  effects  of  a  general 
nature,  unless  perchance  one  should  wish  for  a  particular 
purpose  to  induct  towards  dissociation. 

By  the  noun  subconscious  I  mean  the  highest  degree 
of  consciousness,  inherent  capability,  and  receptivity 
to  the  ideas  of  others,  which  the  psychic  system  of 
the  patient  is  capable  of  manifesting.  By  the  noun 
supraconscious  I  mean  the  highest  degree  of  conscious- 
ness and  receptivity  to  the  ideas  of  others  which  the 
activities  of  the  special  senses  can  either  demand, 
permit,  elicit,  or  govern,  according  to  natural  in- 
fluences, necessities  or  requirements.  The  essential 
psychic  capabilities  of  the  subconscious  are  of  a  higher 
degree  than  those  of  the  supraconscious,  because  the 
psychic  processes  of  the  former  are  free  and  unhindered, 
as  compared  with  those  of  the  latter,  which  are  subject 
to  the  confusing  and  confining  effects  of  the  special 
senses  engaged  in  their  respective  operations.  I 
employ  the  term  subconscious  largely  out  of  respect 
for  former  usage,  in  the  hope  that  a  much  more  definite 
and  accurate  meaning  of  the  term  will  be  found  within 
the  pages  of  this  book;  while  supraconscious  is  pre- 
ferred to  indicate  all  that  consciousness  which  obtains 
when  the  special  senses  are  in  operation. 

The  word  "  circling  "  is  used  to  indicate  the  circular 
process  familiar  to  those  who  have  studied  the  theory 
of  "vicious  circles."  But  instead  of  "vicious  circles" 
I  write  preferably  of  "negative"  circles  and  their 
opposite,  "positive,"  or  favourable,  circles. 


6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Suggestion  should  be  considered  as  applicable,  not 
only  to  brain  conception,  but  to  body  perception. 
Under  the  methods  which  I  employ  a  patient  is  not 
only  instructed  by  words  spoken,  but  his  general 
system  is  at  the  same  time  inducted  by  manipulations 
which  are  designed  to  impress,  both  wholly  and  locally. 

In  pointing  out  that  I  do  not  recommend  what  is 
known  as  hypnotic  suggestion,  it  may  be  well  if  I 
make  some  comparison.  I  consider  the  state  of 
hypnosis  to  be  one  in  which  certain  neurones  and 
synapses  of  the  brain  have,  through  induction,  become 
temporarily  inactive,  but  which  are  nevertheless  dis- 
posed to  accept  the  direction  of  another  person  for  the 
time  being.  If  there  is  a  disposition  to  act  in  a 
contrary  direction  to  the  aim  of  induction,  then  there 
can  be  no  hypnosis.  The  person  hypnotised  exercises 
volition  in  consenting  to  enter  the  state,  after  which  he 
will  carry  out  the  orders  of  the  operator;  but  he  has 
the  power  to  resist  any  suggestions  should  he  take 
exception  to  what  is  suggested. 

For  therapeutic  purposes  I  require  a  patient  merely 
to  be  willing  to  co-operate  with  me,  so  that  he  may 
receive  the  clear  lessons  I  have  to  teach  his  mind  and 
body.  I  do  not  wish  for  any  state  approaching  sleep. 
I  want  just  exactly  the  opposite ;  and  I  get  the  opposite 
by  specially  eliciting  the  attention  of  the  patient.  In 
neuroinduction  the  confusing  activities  of  the  patient's 
eyes  are  inhibited  by  his  closing  them  at  my  request. 

It  will  be  obvious  why  I  consider  neuroinduction  to 
b^  a  more  efficacious  means  of  treatment  than  hy^pnotig 


PROVISIONAL  PSYCHOLOGY  7 

suggestion.  In  the  former  the  patient  is  invited  to 
think  and  act  for  reasons  that  are  agreed  upon  in 
respect  of  reahsable  advantages ;  he  is  asked  to  exer- 
cise his  unhindered  reasoning  powers  to  the  best  of 
his  abihty.  In  hypnosis  his  initiatory  power  of  thought 
is  inhibited;  he  is  led  by  the  thoughts  of  another 
throughout.  There  is  a  further  physiological  effect 
of  very  great  importance  which  is  common  to  both 
neuroinduction  and  hypnotic  suggestion — namely,  an 
absolute  relaxation  of  all  voluntary  and  a  reduction  of 
abnormal  involuntary  muscular  energy,  the  body  being 
in  a  state  of  perfect  rest. 

Neuroinduction  involves  limitation  of  both  the 
physical  and  the  mental  energy  of  the  patient  down  to 
a  plain  static  receptivity  on  the  part  of  the  patient,  and 
to  an  easy  capability  of  comprehension  of  the  remarks 
or  sensations  that  are  conveyed  by  the  physician.  It 
should,  therefore,  elicit  no  reply  if  consistently  carried 
out,  for  this  would  entail  effort  at  a  time  when  absolute 
mental  and  physical  relaxation  was  of  prime  necessity. 
If  a  patient  moved  in  the  slightest  or  uttered  any  word, 
then  the  relaxation  requisite  for  fullest  perception 
would  not  be  present.  Neuroinduction  calls  for  no 
effort  whatsoever  on  the  part  of  the  patient.  When 
a  patient  is  trained  to  relax  absolutely  he  is  ipso  facto 
taught  not  to  energise ;  nor  will  he  have  the  least  desire 
either  to  speak  or  move,  provided  the  technique  is 
nearly  as  good  as  that  required  of  one  who  is  teaching 
another  how  to  float  in  water  effectually. 

I    deem    the    subconscious    to   be    .y^/^^rconscious, 


8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

instead  of  unconscious  —  as  so  many  erroneously 
imagine  and  allow  it  to  be — simply  because  it  proves 
itself  to  be  superconscious  in  induction.  When  I 
induct  toward  the  subconscious  I  make  for  super- 
consciousness  by  eliminating  confusion  and  encourag- 
ing concentration,  by  bringing  out  the  purest  thoughts 
possible  on  particular  lines.  Amnesia  does  not  mean 
unconsciousness  of  either  the  supraconscious  or  the 
subconscious;  it  merely  means  that  some  amount  of 
dissociation  exists  for  the  time  being.  When  lecturing 
on  "  War  Shock  "  before  the  Royal  Society  of  Medicine 
a  distinguished  psychiatrist  said  :  "  The  .  .  .  wish 
leading  to  the  production  of  the  neurosis  is  *  repressed  * 
and  unconscious."  This  is  a  common  error  that  is 
too  flagrant  to  stand  unchallenged.  By  neuroinduc- 
tion  I  enable  "repressed"  conscious  ideas  to  become 
still  more  conscious,  and  I  effect  normal  association  to 
the  level  of  the  supraconscious  if  necessary.  I  should 
not  expect  to  get  any  improved  sense  out  of  an  un- 
conscious. What  has  so  long  been  spoken  of  by 
authorities  as  the  unconscious  of  the  subconscious  has 
therefore  been  a  contradiction  amounting  to  absurdity 
in  the  light  of  the  later  evidence  of  these  present  pages. 


CHAPTER  II 

SOME  OBJECT  LESSONS 

This  book  is  a  digest  of  upwards  of  a  thousand  pages 
written  on  the  subject  of  Suggestion.  The  war,  and 
the  scarcity  of  paper,  have  made  it  necessary  to  publish 
only  such  parts  of  the  whole  study  as  will  serve  to 
guide  others  who  desire  to  work  in  the  same  field — as 
to  methods  of  application,  scope,  usefulness,  and  possi- 
bilities for  the  future,  having  regard  to  the  urgent  and 
increasing  demand  for  the  best  means  of  dealing  with 
many  disorders  and  diseases  of  a  difficult  nature, 
which  are  always  more  or  less  with  us,  but  which  the 
extra  stress  and  strain  of  recent  years  have  accentuated. 

Nothing  could  possibly  be  simpler  than  the  methods 
I  adopt.  In  all  cases  I  explain  to  the  patient  the 
meaning  of  every  procedure,  in  the  simplest  words,  so 
far  as  in  each  instance  he  or  she  is  capable  of  under- 
standing. Thus  mystery  is  impossible;  it  is  not 
allowed  to  enter. 

The  great  difficulty  of  certain  disorders,  and  the 
failure  to  treat  them  successfully  by  any  other  means, 
has  been  the  making  of  psychotherapy.  "  There  is  no 
other  treatment  left"  has  many  times  been  remarked 
to  me  by  physicians  when  discussing  cases,     ''It  is 

9 


lo  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  only  treatment "  has  been  a  repeated  comment,  in 
reference  to  confirmed  habits  which  have  been  based 
upon  abnormal  nerve-functioning. 

The  instance  of  a  distinguished  physician  becoming 
a  sworn  believer  in  suggestion  within  a  couple  of 
memorable  hours  is  not  without  interest.  He  was 
attending  a  wealthy  lady  for  supposed  appendicitis, 
when  he  suspected  stone  in  the  kidney.  Happening 
to  mention  his  doubt  to  a  member  of  the  family,  the 
latter  proceeded  to  discuss  the  case  in  whispers,  which 
were  overheard  by  the  patient,  who  thereupon  became 
first  hysterical  and  then  seriously  alarmed,  until 
growing  mental  distress  promised  rapidly  to  develop 
into  very  serious  disorder.  The  situation  became 
acute  when  the  physician  was  accused  by  the  relatives 
of  driving  the  patient  insane  through  a  careless  remark. 
He  hastened  to  his  most  intimate  colleague  for  help; 
the  latter  was  in  a  difficulty  as  to  how  he  should  reply, 
until  he  finally  concluded  :  "  The  only  thing  to  do  is 
to  get  someone  to  treat  her  by  suggestion."  The 
ajarming  position  was  thereby  saved. 

At  times,  indeed,  the  employer  of  suggestion  does 
distinctly  "come  out  on  top,"  and  in  these  days  with 
increasing  frequency.  Take  the  instance  of  a  lady 
being  seized  with  a  sudden  agony  of  mind  on  hearing 
of  a  tragedy.  Acute  dementia  was  diagnosed.  She 
exhibited  loss  of  mental  capability  to  the  extent  of 
becoming  incoherent  of  speech  and  violent,  while  there 
was  a  total  lack  of  intelligent  response  to  any  ques- 
tioning.    Certificates  were  written  out  and  awaited 


SOME  OBJECT  LESSONS  ii 

the  husband's  signature.  He  refused  to  sign,  although 
one  of  the  medical  advisers  was  a  specialist  of  stand- 
ing. He  had  heard  of  other  ways  of  dealing  with  such 
cases.  He  discussed  the  situation  with  a  reliable 
friend,  who  advised  suggestion.  To  this  there  was 
opposition;  indeed,  it  was  only  with  great  difficulty 
that  the  recommendation  was  pursued.  Eventually 
the  stronger  conviction  prevailed.  After  the  second 
treatment  the  patient  was  able  to  converse  sufficiently 
well  to  justify  those  around  her  in  considering  that  a 
favourable  prognosis  was  entertainable.  She  received 
only  three  treatments  by  suggestion  in  all,  and  required 
no  further  medical  advice  afterwards. 

I  have  been  fortunate  in  my  special  study,  in  that  I 
have  from  the  first  had  to  deal  almost  exclusively  with 
complications :  strange  to  say,  for  reasons  which  1 
will  not  explain,  I  never  went  through  an  elementary 
schooling.  My  first  special  case  was  given  me  to 
look  after  by  a  well-known  psychotherapeutic  prac- 
titioner of  the  earlier  period ;  the  patient  was  a  lady  of 
position  whom  many  specialists  had  given  up  as  in- 
curable. My  medical  friend  had  long  known  that  I 
was  interested  in  psychotherapy;  he  asked  me  to 
attend,  as  a  general  practitioner,  to  the  end.  To  his 
astonishment,  I  succeeded  in  curing  the  patient.  He 
then  tried  me  with  a  string  of  so-called  incurables, 
from  drug-takers  to  strange  cases  of  mental  derange- 
ment, and  the  results  were  such  that  I  was  able  to 
divide  my  general  practice  between  my  erstwhile  local 
Rivals,  presenting  each  of  them  with  a  very  welcome 


12  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

section  of  it  as  a  Christmas  present,  to  their  astonish- 
ment and  extreme  gratification. 

Easy  cases  have  not  reached  me  for  other  and 
obvious  reasons.  Many  times  my  opportunity  has 
come  when  a  patient  has  "  seen  all  the  best  men,"  the 
last  one  having  divined  a  possible  means  of  checking 
an  exasperating  career  by  means  of  psychotherapy. 
To  this  day,  the  private  watchword  for  some  consul- 
tants is :  "  Never  send  a  patient  for  treatment  by 
suggestion  so  long  as  anything  else  can  have  a  possible 
chance  of  effecting  a  cure ;"  for  they  do  not  understand 
the  treatment,  and  they  therefore  imagine  that  the 
best  attitude  to  adopt  is  to  say  as  little  about  it  as 
possible.  It  is  my  object  in  these  pages  to  induce 
them  to  understand,  and,  indeed,  to  adopt  it  them- 
selves. I  am  fair  enough  to  acknowledge  that  there 
are  a  few  consultants — very  few — who  "swear  by" 
suggestion  for  certain  cases ;  and  these  are  sufficiently 
strong  frankly  to  say  so.  All  honour  to  them.  Their 
prosperity  is  largely  the  result  of  their  all-round 
honesty,  their  fearless  independence  of  judgment,  and 
their  deeper  knowledge. 

No  one  can  be  blamed  for  not  recommending 
psychotherapy  when  so  little  is  known  about  it. 
Opposition,  indeed,  has  been  only  natural.  It  has 
always  been  the  attitude — and  in  general,  perhaps, 
it  is  a  wise  one — of  the  mass  of  medical  men  toward 
anything  new,  until  it  has  become  obvious  that  its 
extensive  adoption  could  only  be  advantageous  and 
would  involve  no  danger. 


SOME  OBJECT  LESSONS  13 

In  certain  respects,  I  admit,  the  work  is  not  always 
easy ;  had  it  been  so  the  possibilities  of  psychotherapy 
would  be  far  more  acceptable  than  they  are.  At 
times,  indeed,  the  work  is  extremely  difficult  It  is 
not  so  easy  to  follow  a  train  of  thought  in  the  mind's 
eye  as  it  is  to  observe  anatomical  and  pathological 
structures  by  the  naked  eye. 

When  hundreds  of  cases  can  be  cited,  all  affording 
rich  object  lessons  which  cannot  be  gainsaid,  and  the 
illuminating  effect  of  which  no  opposition  can  obscure, 
it  is  time  for  practitioners  to  open  their  hearts  and 
minds  to  that  which  has  proved  to  be  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  public,  and  must  therefore  be  to  their 
own  interest  also.  I  am  citing  in  this  chapter  a  few 
cases  which  have  occurred  among  medical  men  and 
their  families.  I  am  offering  such  instances  of  set 
purpose,  in  order  to  show  that  in  cases  which  have 
presented  the  utmost  difficulty  psychotherapy  has 
intervened  successfully,  as  nothing  else  could  have 
done,  eloquently  teaching  us  the  advisability  of  em- 
ploying this  means  of  treatment,  not  merely  as  a  last 
resource,  but  as  an  early  remedy. 

A  medical  man  had  been  for  six  weeks  in  a  nursing 
home,  suffering  from  heart  failure,  going  from  bad 
to  worse.  He  was  recommended  to  me  by  a  consul- 
tant who  felt  that  he  could  advise  nothing  more  than 
had  already  been  done,  "unless  it  might  be  sugges- 
tion;" for  this  had  been  successful  in  the  case  of  a 
near  relative  of  the  consultant,  whose  case  had  also 
been  considered  hopeless.     The  patient  could  hardly 


14  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

speak,  through  breathlessness.  He  handed  me  a, 
former  speciahst's  report  as  to  valvular  disease,  which 
had  followed  upon  rheumatic  fever.  I  at  once  con- 
cluded that  there  was  present  a  condition  of  general 
nervous  chaos  as  an  additional  factor,  and  that  it  was 
precisely  this  which  was  aggravating  both  the  organic 
condition  of  the  heart  and  its  functional  distress,  in 
spite  of  all  therapeutic  efforts.  After  one  treatment, 
administered  there  and  then,  a  marked  improvement 
was  to  be  recognised,  both  objectively  and  subjec- 
tively. He  was  well  enough  to  resume  work  a  few 
days  later,  being  only  too  anxious  to  do  so.  Although 
on  recommencing  work  he  was  feeling  far  from  well 
in  a  general  sense,  he  now  no  longer  suffered  any 
distress  from  his  heart.  He  soon  regained  his  normal 
strength  under  the  exhilarating  effect  of  employment, 
enjoying  freedom  of  respiration,  and  being  altogether 
in  quite  a  happy  frame  of  mind. 

I  am  not  going  to  pretend  that  the  patient  grew 
new  valves,  whether  immediately  or  later  on.  What 
I  did  was  to  diminish  the  nervous  strain  super- 
imposed, when  the  diseased  valves  were  able  to  serve 
the  heart  quite  sufficiently  well.  I  do  not  suggest  that 
all  such  cases  could  be  similarly  dealt  with  in  a  single 
treatment.  In  a  further  case,  not  nearly  so  severe,  which 
was  sent  me  by  a  leading  heart  specialist  in  London, 
the  patient  required  three  or  four  treatments.  A 
sufferer  from  very  severe  tachycardia,  the  son  of  a 
medical  man,  required  three  treatments  a  week  for  a 
month  before  the  trouble  was  entirely  overcome,  for 


SOME  OBJECT  LESSONS  15 

the  simple  reason  that  in  his  case  there  were  severe 
comphcations  elsewhere  localised,  which  also  required 
treatment. 

I  will  just  offer  one  more  object  lesson  before  I 
proceed  to  some  very  special  data  which  the  scientist 
should  carefully  ponder.  The  son  of  a  doctor  of 
medicine,  being  also  the  brother  of  another  doctor,  had 
for  many  years  been  suffering  from  "neurasthenia." 
He  had  consulted  no  less  than  twenty-four  advisers, 
all  specialists  of  different  categories,  from  consulting 
physicians  to  oculists,  from  ear  and  throat  experts  to 
high-blood-pressure  enthusiasts.  Finally,  being  con- 
sidered quite  incurable,  a  perfect  nuisance  to  encounter, 
a  positive  bugbear  to  hear  about,  my  colleagues  got  rid 
of  him  by  sending  him  to  me — partly,  I  am  almost 
inclined  to  conclude,  in  order  to  punish  me  for  my 
audacity,  in  that  I  habitually  consented,  by  preference, 
to  receive  the  most  difficult  cases.  I  secured  evidence 
that  in  this  case  it  was  expected  that  I  should  miser- 
ably fail.  The  patient's  age  was  thirty-four.  His 
history  included  his  never  having  been  able  to  succeed 
in  any  employment;  he  had  always  been  dependent 
upon  allowances  from  relatives. 

He  could  hardly  speak ;  nor  could  he  see  sufficiently 
well  to  walk  unaided  or  to  read,  having  to  wear  an 
enormous  shade  over  his  eyes.  He  had  been  in  bed 
for  weeks.  He  went  straight  to  bed  on  coming  into 
my  care. 

He  was  treated  by  suggestion  for  some  months. 
To-day  he  has  an  almost  world-wide  reputation  as  a 


i6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

man  of  high  professional  attainments ;  he  is  also  quite 
above  the  average  as  a  man  of  business. 

It  was  not  to  favour  me  that  a  Gold  Medallist  M.D. 
was  recommended  to  me  as  a  patient  by  another  Gold 
Medallist  M.D. ;  it  was  because  no  other  procedure 
seemed  more  hopeful  in  a  position  of  desperate,  urgent, 
and  alarming  difficulty.  The  decision  that  the  patient 
had  better  be  placed  in  my  hands  was  arrived  at 
because  many  instances  were  known  of  success  in  such 
cases  when  everything  else  had  either  proved,  or 
promised  to  prove,  a  failure. 

If  my  readers,  on  perusing  the  "  Contents  "  list,  note 
the  scope  of  the  work  described,  and  observe  the  head- 
ing "  Surgical,"  they  must  not  conclude  that  the  author 
is  suff"ering  from  over-enthusiasm.  Let  me  tell  them  of 
the  case  of  a  child,  two  and  a  half  years  of  age,  which 
was  suffering  from  prolapse  of  the  rectum.  When  the 
case  was  recommended  to  me  the  trouble  had  existed 
for  some  months,  and  was  gradually  becoming  worse. 
AU  the  usual  and  likely  remedies  had  been  adopted 
without  avail;  a  surgeon  was  at  length  appealed  to, 
who  advised  operation.  This  was  objected  to.  One 
treatment  by  neuroinduction  relieved  the  constipation ; 
a  second  confirmed  the  improvement;  a  third  was 
g^ven  by  way  of  further  security.  The  bowel  never 
came  down  again  after  the  first  treatment. 

Nor  need  the  heading  "Pulmonary"  astonish  any 
who  scan  the  index.  I  shall  explain  what  can  be  done 
in  desperately  difficult  cases. 

Surgeons  must  never  again  scorn  psychotherapy 


SOME  OBJECT  LESSONS  17 

after  my  now  referring  to  a  patient  who  was  afflicted 
with  lateral  curvature  of  the  spine,  and  had  suffered 
years  of  agony  from  plaster  and  other  barbarous 
fixtures,  only  to  emerge  worse  than  before.  Neuro- 
induction  served  to  restore  confidence  and  to  create 
such  a  keenness  for  exercise  of  the  offending  muscles 
that  a  very  few  months  sufficed  to  restore  shapeliness. 
In  some  antero-posterior  cases  of  cure  I  am  convinced 
that  nothing  but  neuroinduction  would  ever  have 
succeeded. 

The  importance  of  a  study  of  neuroinduction  will 
be  further  seen  from  an  analysis  of  such  a  case  as  this  : 
A  daughter  complained  of  a  dread  of  having  anything 
to  do  with  birds;  she  would  neither  eat  chicken  nor 
countenance  feathers  in  hats.  It  was  found  that  her 
mother  had  been  terrified  by  a  parrot  becoming 
suddenly  entangled  in  her  hair  while  she  was  "carry- 
ing" the  offspring  in  utero;  thus  I  have  found  that 
certain  "maternal  impressions,"  of  various  kinds,  are 
real.  When  we  also  bear  in  mind  the  example  that 
bulldogs  afford,  which  are  now  commonly  born  with 
distorted  tails — the  tails  of  their  progenitors  having 
been  broken  to  keep  the  fashion — then  one  must  con- 
clude that  nothing  but  neurone  process  could  determine 
transmission  of  acquired  characters. 

If  it  be  contended  that  a  "nerve  theory"  has  been 
advanced  by  former  observers,  I  must  point  out  that 
these  have  done  no  more  than  surmise,  for  no  rationale 
has  been  forthcoming  to  sustain  their  idea.  In  these 
present  pages  a  rationale  does  come  into  view,  through 


1 8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  illumination  which  a  study  of  neurones  and 
synapses,  glands,  and  sympathetic  systems,  provides. 
Professors  Adami  and  Cunningham  may  therefore 
both  be  quite  happy  with  the  conclusions  of  this  book, 
for  if  glandular  secretions  really  do  produce  chemical 
stimulating  effects,  then  I  must  maintain  that  this  is 
primarily  through  the  influence  of  neurones ;  moreover, 
in  the  case  of  the  lower  organisms  I  would  point 
out  that  we  have  every  right  to  conclude  that  primitive 
neuronous  elements  were  active  before  glandular,  for, 
in  studying  the  higher  animals,  when  an  idea  has 
caused  disturbance  in  bodily  functioning  it  is  the 
neurones  which  have  primarily  governed  effect. 


CHAPTER  III 
NEUROSES 

Insomnia 

Amongst  the  worst  cases  of  this  disorder  are  those 
in  which  the  patient  is  obsessed  with  the  idea  of  not 
sleeping,  and  has  developed  a  mania  for  convincing 
all  and  sundry  of  the  dreadful  suffering  which  he 
undergoes.  He  thus  feeds  his  disorder  upon  what 
successes  he  can  obtain  in  the  matter  of  finding  others 
who  can  be  wrought  upon  by  his  descriptions,  until 
his  own  estimates  as  to  the  kind  and  the  extent  of 
his  sufferings  become  so  very  much  enlarged  that  they 
actually  induce  insomnia  which  otherwise  would  not 
exist.  The  fact  is  that  insomnia  is  often  an  extremely 
useful  complaint  for  the  neurasthenic,  for  he  can 
descant  upon  it  to  his  heart's  content,  knowing  that 
nobody  is  present  to  see  whether  he  sleeps  or  no,  and 
if  his  doctor  should  deliberately  place  someone  beside 
him  he  would  still  have  difiiculty  in  proving  the  truth. 
Most  of  the  other  forms  of  insomnia  are  very  ordinary 
compared  with  this  type,  and  can  be  successfully 
treated  by  various  well-known  means,  according  to 
the  indications  and  etiological  factors  in  each  case. 
Not  that  ordinary  cases  ought  to  be  treated  by  other 

19 


20  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

means  than  psychotherapy,  for — and  here  let  there  be 
no  mistake — psychotherapy  will  readily  prove  itself 
to  be  the  very  best  treatment  for  all  kinds  and  all 
degrees  of  insomnia,  even  though  organic  disorder 
in  the  patient  should  require  medicinal  or  hygienic 
adjuvants. 

When,  in  addition  to  the  fundamental  exigencies 
of  the  case,  the  patient  further  endeavours  to  torment 
himself,  and  to  corner  his  doctor,  with  a  phobia  regard- 
ing the  drugs  he  feels  obliged  to  take,  a  veritable 
impasse  may  be  reached,  which  will  require  strong 
measures,  and  perhaps  even  the  resources  of  a  scientific 
detective.     The  neurasthenic  often  becomes  very  in- 
genious in  his  cunning ;  his  success  in  baffling  first  one 
and  then  another  doctor  may  create  a  yet  more  urgent 
desire  on  his  part  to  prove  the  truth  of  his  conten- 
tions; and  in  this  way  he  may  add  other  arcs  to  his 
negative  circling.     He  may  divine  that  he  is  being 
watched,  and  conclude  that  the  most  artful  expedients 
are  being  adopted  for  catching  him;   his  protesta- 
tions may   at   times   become   heated.      Sooner    than 
be  found  out,  he  will  often  do  a  desperate  amount  of 
thinking;  he  may  also  act  desperately.     Should  it 
dawn  upon  him  that  he  has  been  exaggerating  in 
declaring  that  he  ought  not  to  be  so  cruelly  accused, 
he  may  suffer  a  distress  of  mind  that  makes  any  road 
out  of  it  preferable  to  facing  the  painful  ordeal  of 
exposure.     He  may  finally  quarrel  with  his  doctor,  and 
even  with  himself,  and  meditate  suicide. 
Such  a  patient  requires  to  be  treated  by  a  scheme 


KEUROSES  21 

of  psychotherapy  which  aims  at  such  various  symptoms 
of  his  neurasthenia  as  are  acting  in  vicious  encircle- 
ment. What  will  be  the  use  of  merely  treating  his 
dyspepsia  by  means  of  medicines  and  food,  or  of 
considering  chiefly  his  loss  of  weight,  or  of  heeding 
only  his  chief  complaint  that  he  gets  no  sleep,  when 
all  these  features  are  caused  by  serious  conflict  in  his 
subconscious  mind,  originating  partly  in  some  domes- 
tic circumstance,  and  being  established  still  more 
deeply  by  worrying  over  his  illness  ?  Having  been 
a  perfectly  honest  man  when  well,  he  now  misrepre- 
sents the  facts.  There  is  discord  in  his  constitution, 
and  he  feels  downright  unhappy.  He  may  even  be 
extremely  ashamed  of  himself,  while  feeling  helpless 
and  unable  to  escape  from  it  all. 

In  employing  psychotherapy  nothing  is  so  power- 
fully effective  as  logically  cornering  the  patient,  and 
bringing  his  misfeasances  home  to  his  subconscious- 
ness. The  case  of  a  lady  who  suffered  from  nervous 
breakdown  through  playing  chess  to  excess  may  be 
referred  to  by  way  of  illustration.  She  declared  that 
she  slept  only  two  or  three  hours  each  night,  and  never 
before  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  She  was  placed 
in  a  one-patient  home;  psychotherapy  was  applied 
for  two  weeks,  with  obviously  favourable  effects  as  to 
her  general  condition,  but  she  adhered  firmly  to  her 
story  of  insomnia.  Accordingly  a  trap  was  laid  for 
her:  a  book  was  lent  her,  which  was  just  of  a  kind 
to  induce  her  to  read  far  into  the  night  if  nothing 
hindered.     "  Do  not  keep  this  long ;  there  is  a  run  on 


2^  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

it,  naturally.  Several  are  asking  for  it,"  was  the  condi- 
tion of  the  loan.  She  read  the  book  all  the  afternoon, 
and  took  it  to  bed  with  her.  It  was  ten  o'clock,  and 
I  thought  I  should  like  to  read  the  book,  for  I  had 
found  a  rare  moment  of  leisure.  I  decided  to  go  to 
the  home,  and  to  the  patient's  room,  to  ask  for  it. 
I  knocked — and  knocked  gently ;  no  answer.  Then  I 
softly  opened  the  door.  Getting  no  response,  I  spoke  : 
"Are  you  awake,  Miss  ?"  No  answer.  Care- 
fully listening,  I  could  hear  the  sounds  which  tell  of 
delicious  slumber.  There  was  no  mistake  about  it. 
I  gave  her  a  few  minutes;  then  I  called  louder.  She 
awoke  with  a  start,  in  confusion,  and  immediately 
said  :  "  I  was  not  asleep — did  you  knock  ?"  "  I  only 
want  my  book,"  I  replied;  "I  have  just  a  chance  to 
look  at  it,  and  I  thought  you  would  not  mind  my 
asking  for  it.  It  is  not  very  late,  and  I  thought  you 
would  not  be  disturbed."  I  took  the  book,  and 
nothing  more  was  said  until  the  morning.  Then  the 
discrepancy  was  referred  to  during  subconscious  train- 
ing, with  the  result  that  ever  afterwards  none  but 
accurate  reference  was  made  to  anything  and  every- 
thing by  the  patient,  the  question  of  sleep  never  again 
being  referred  to  in  the  supraconscious  state.* 

The  reader  may  conjecture  that  a  patient  may  be 
similarly  detected  as  guilty  of  incorrect  representation 
without  any  special  application  of  psychotherapy 
being  necessary  afterwards.     My  reply  is  that  mere 

*  Throughout  this  book  all  above  the  subconscious  is  termed 
the  supraconscious,  advisedly. 


NEUROSES  23 

detection  without  psychotherapy  may  miserably  fail; 
the  patient  may  complain  in  anger  that  she  is  being 
disgracefully  treated.  Under  the  scientific  and  ex- 
perienced application  of  psychotherapy  failure  will 
be  impossible,  other  things  being  equal. 

Of  all  the  cases  of  insomnia  I  ever  attended  there 
was  one  I  regarded  as  likely  to  be  most  hopeless. 
Lack  of  sleep  was  occasioned  by  the  presence  of  an 
internal  growth  on  which  the  surgeons  would  not 
operate,  the  patient  being  in  mental  as  well  as  physical 
agony.  She  would  not  take  drugs,  so  what  further 
treatment  could  be  applied  other  than  psychotherapy  ? 
Under  the  circumstances,  I  consented  to  treat  her,  and 
I  was  successful  even  beyond  my  own  attenuated 
hopes.  Assuagement  of  her  fears,  apprehensions, 
and  misgivings  by  comfortable  argument  produced 
the  most  gratifying  results. 

Psychotherapy  has  proved  itself  paramount  over  all 
other  treatments  that  have  been  tried  for  insomnia. 
But  why  has  it  done  so  ?  For  three  reasons  :  firstly, 
induction*  has  allayed  mental  excitement  and  reduced 
bodily  tremors;  secondly,  induction  has  readily 
enabled  analysis  to  detect  any  underlying  mental 
tension;  thirdly,  induction  has  assisted  the  action 
of  medicinal  applications  upon  physical  disorders, 
whether  the  latter  have  been  consequent  upon  the  in- 

*  The  word  induction  is  employed  to  denote  the  education 
or  re-education  of  the  mental  and  physical  systems,  the  patient 
being  led  from  one  clear  understanding  to  another,  the 
physician's  plain  and  simple  reasoning  appealing  to  the  inner 
conscience.     A  later  chapter  deals  further  with  methods. 


24  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

somnia  or  have  preceeded  it,  although  such  applica^ 
tions  had  formerly  been  of  little  use;  this  adjuvant 
action  being  due  to  the  fillip  administered  to  the  process 
of  metabolism,  and  to  the  feeling  of  well-being  afforded 
thereby.  Not  that  the  use  of  chemical  medicines  is 
always  recommended,  for  the  effects  of  psychotherapy 
are  so  far-reaching  and  so  prompt  that  in  most  instances 
medicines  will  be  no  longer  required  shortly  after 
the  commencement  of  the  treatment,  even  though  the 
sufferer  may  have  become  a  drug  maniac.  Possibly 
none  will  be  required  from  the  outset;  nevertheless,  it 
is,  of  course,  frankly  admitted  that  some  patients  may 
be  helped  to  more  rapid  improvement  by  the  adminis- 
tration of  stomachics,  laxatives,  tonics,  and  even 
sedatives,  while  psychotherapy  is  being  applied. 

It  is  impossible  in  these  days  to  study  disorders 
which  are  difficult  to  diagnose  fully,  and  when  all  treat- 
ments are  difficult  to  apply,  without  having  recourse 
to  the  lessons  which  an  understanding  of  the  process  of 
"circling"  offers.  We  owe  much  to  the  discovery  of 
the  "  vicious  circle " — if  it  deserve  the  label  of  dis- 
covery. The  process  must  have  been  recognised  to 
some  extent  and  in  various  connections  from  time 
immemorial.  It  has  taught  us  to  make  more  correct  esti- 
mates, and  has  drawn  attention  to  the  necessity  for 
recognising  the  accurate  sequence  in  identifying  compli- 
cations. Now,  having  found  its  value,  I  venture  to  con- 
sider that  the  term  should  only  be  used  with  direct  refer- 
ence to  its  opposite.  At  first  (some  years  ago)  I  chose  to 
refer  to  the  opposite  process  as  "  favourable  circling  " ; 


NEUROSES  i$ 

later  on  I  came  to  adopt  the  terms  positive  and 
negative  as  being  more  suitable.  In  the  matter  of 
illustrations  I  conceived  a  dislike  of  drawn  circles 
which  contained  reference  words  that  were  printed 
upside  down  and  were  not  easy  to  read.  I  therefore 
adopted  another  form  of  circle,  writing  all  descriptive 
words  horizontally,  so  that  they  were  easier  to  read. 
Now,  in  this  book,  I  would  ask  permission  to  abandon 
the  illustrative  circle  altogether,  as  too  well  under- 
stood to  need  actual  representation.  I  find,  indeed, 
that  sequences  may  quite  well  be  given  in  the  printed 
lines  of  the  context.  This  form  of  expression  is  readily 
understood  by  the  reader,  and  it  is  much  easier  to 
print. 

I  represent  a  case  such  as  has  been  referred  to  in  the 
last  few  pages  in  the  following  way,  giving  the  arcs 
in  the  order  in  which  they  appear  to  have  originated  : 

Negative  "Circling"  (Corresponding) 

(i)  Worry;  (2)  insomnia;  (3)  dyspepsia;  (4)  pain; 
(5)  constipation ;  (6)  despair ;  (7)  drug  mania ;  (8)  loss 
of  weight. 

Positive  "Circling" 

(i)  Psychotherapy ;  (2)  psychotherapy ;  (3)  medicines 
and  diet;  (4)  local  applications;  (5)  laxatives  or 
psychotherapy;  (5)  psychotherapy;  (7)  sedatives  or 
psychotherapy,  or  both ;  (8)  diet. 

I  have  also  found  that  diagnosis  of  a  case  is  best 
expressed  in  terms  of  "circling"  as  above.     For  in- 


26  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

stance,  it  would  be  absurd  to  categorise  the  cases 
previously  referred  to  as  cases  of  insomnia.  They  are 
cases  in  which  insomnia  is  merely  a  single  feature,  and 
not  by  any  means  the  most  important  one. 

The  following  is  an  instance  worth  studying.  A 
young  man  of  twenty-six  was  sent  to  me  by  a  consultant 
as  a  case  of  insomnia  that  "  beat  everything."  He  was 
an  architect.  He  had  been  spoilt  as  a  boy.  He  was  very 
capable;  almost  too  enthusiastic.  Nothing  had  been 
successful  in  curing  his  insomnia.  I  found  that  he  was 
chiefly  afraid  because  nobody  could  help  him.  He  felt 
that  his  was  a  hopeless  case.  Drugs  had  made  him 
worse  :  in  small  doses  they  were  useless ;  in  large  doses 
they  made  him  feel  bad  the  next  day.  He  was  an 
obstinate  patient  to  treat,  and  gave  me  the  impression 
that  he  was  afraid  he  would  be  compelled  to  sleep 
by  "  suggestion  " — as  he  had  heard  the  new  treatment 
called.  Mental  analysis  further  showed  that  there  was 
something  more  at  the  back  of  his  mind.  It  was 
proved  that  he  slept  fairly  well,  although  he  continued 
to  declare  that  he  did  not  get  more  than  a  couple  of 
hours*  sleep  each  night.  It  turned  out  that  six 
months  previously  he  had  been  overworked,  and  had 
been  offended  by  someone  who  had  remarked  upon  an 
error  in  an  architectural  design.  This  fact  he  kept  to 
himself,  until  he  fell  ill ;  then  followed  insomnia,  which 
itself  was  simple  enough,  and  would  have  been  curable 
by  ordinary  means,  but  for  the  fact  that  the  patient, 
in  his  malaise,  developed  obsessions  and  phobias 
arising  from  the  aspersions  cast  upon  his  work.     At 


NEUROSES  17 

length  he  felt  that  certain  thoughts  were  accumulating 
which  he  must  by  all  means  conceal.  Even  convinc- 
ing him  that  he  slept  was  of  no  avail  until  the  nature 
of  his  strain  had  been  explained,  and  until  he  had 
learned  to  recover  a  greater  degree  of  self-confidence. 

This  patient  had  made  references  in  his  diary  to 
the  various  authorities  whom  he  had  formerly  con- 
sulted, and  to  their  treatments  and  observations. 
When  he  recovered  he  recognised  quite  clearly  that 
he  had  been  incontinently  drifting  into  negatives 
which  would  finally  have  rendered  him  insane  had 
they  not  been  checked.  He  had  become  afraid  of 
himself  and  of  everybody  else.  One  of  his  confessions 
was  this  :  "  One  side  of  me  said,  *  You  do  sleep  * :  the 
other, '  You  don*t ;  you  must  keep  up  the  idea  that  you 
don't,  or  you  will  expose  yourself.'  I  got  into  an  awful 
fix,  until  I  found  that  whatever  initial  insomnia  there 
had  been  was  kept  up  by  the  unsuccessful  efforts 
doctors  had  made  against  it."  He  finally  admitted 
that  the  whole  chaotic  position  had  been  brought 
about  through  the  early  remarks  made  to  him  about 
his  work. 

Quite  a  number  of  patients,  who  get  well  under 
psychotherapy,  quietly  discontinue  further  treatment, 
with  very  little  comment,  giving,  when  questioned, 
some  simple  answer  such  as  this :  "  Getting  right  by 
degrees,  thank  you."  Later  one  hears  of  their  being 
quite  well.  The  explanation  is  that  they  have 
corrected  their  obsessions  as  induction  has  continued, 
and  have  decided  not  to  reveal  the  initial  worry,  what- 


28  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ever  it  might  have  been,  especially  as  no  specifi.c  in- 
quiries had  been  made  in  respect  of  its  nature — as  they 
need  not  be  if  a  case  should  seem  to  the  physician  to  be 
proceeding  satisfactorily.  Thus  there  is  very  often  no 
need  to  grope  amongst  a  person's  private  affairs  if  he 
shows  early  signs  of  responding  to  treatment. 


PSYCHASTHENIA  (INCLUDING   NEURASTHENIA) 

I  have  chosen  to  make  a  study  of  neurasthenia  under 
the  heading  psychasthenia,  after  the  manner  of  a 
psychotherapist  who  never  sees  the  one  disorder  with- 
out the  other ;  who  cannot,  indeed,  see  the  one  without 
the  other,  for  the  very  reason  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  neurasthenia  without  some  degree  of  psychas- 
thenia. Neurasthenia  means — if  it  means  anything — 
weakness  of  the  neurones  and  their  connections,  which 
is  bound  to  include  a  diminished  power  of  thought.  I 
allow  the  greater  to  contain  the  less.  It  is  my  conten- 
tion that  psychasthenia  is  the  most  important  factor  in 
the  causation  of  functional  derangements.  By  means 
of  a  treatment  called  suggestion  (which  means  educa- 
tion) both  the  psychasthenia  and  the  neurasthenia 
belonging  to  it  may  be  cured.  This  is  clearly  seen  in 
practice :  we  hardly  seem  to  need  the  word  neuras- 
thenia any  longer.  The  neurasthenia  of  former  writers 
is  shorn  of  all  its  difficulties  when  its  protean  mani- 
festations are  viewed  under  the  lenses  and  by  the  light 
which  a  study  of  psychasthenia  and  its  treatment 
affords  us.     A  great  authority  has  published  a  book 


NEUROSES  29 

on  neurasthenia;  in  it  he  frankly  admits  that  "the 
weariness  complained  of  by  neurasthenics  is  a  central 
phenomenon."     We  thank  him  for  these  words. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  large  and  valuable 
volumes  have  been  written  on  neurasthenia  by  very 
clever  men,  I  propose  to  peel  off  a  good  deal  of  thick 
encrustation  which  many  years  of  very  serious  thought 
have  deposited  over  the  kernel  of  this  disorder,  together 
with  much  of  the  dust  and  cobwebs  of  time-honoured 
theory  surrounding  the  whole.     I  am  sorry  if  I  offend 
the  susceptibilities  of  lovers  of  the  old  order  of  things ; 
but  experience  compels  me.     I  feel  that  psychasthenia 
gives  us  all  the  elucidation  we  want ;  in  our  study  neuras- 
thenia will  melt  into  a  matter  hardly  worth  any  special 
consideration  as  a  great  disorder  in  itself.     It  seems 
impossible  to  think  otherwise ;  the  teaching  of  psycho- 
therapy is  so  clear  that  there  can  be  no  other  alter- 
native. 

I  will  allow  at  once  that  a  toxaemia  of  dyspepsia 
plus  intestinal  stasis  may  be  the  cause  of  a  so-called 
neurasthenia;  but  I  shall  show  in  later  chapters  that 
the  former  conditions  are  caused  chiefly  by  mental 
stress,  which  is  best  treated  by  "suggestion." 

Psychasthenia  may  be  regarded  as  anything  between 
general  depression  and  inertia  such  as  follow  influenza, 
nerve  shock,  or  mental  strain,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
utter  exhaustion  of  power  of  thought,  such  as  we  see 
in  dementia  (or  complete  chaos,  as  in  mania),  on  the 
other. 

It  follows  that  this  chapter  will  be  a  very  short  one. 


30  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Psychasthenia  will  be  considered  broadly  as  it  may 
occur  in  different  forms  and  various  headings. 

I  shall  make  but  a  brief  reference  to  cases  not  having- 
an  organic  or  toxic  origin,  in  which  nothing  but  inertia, 
a  disinclination  to  do  anything,  and  an  incapacity 
to  feel  interest,  are  the  chief  features,  there  being  neither 
any  particular  phobias  nor  anything  definitely  hysteri- 
cal, illusional,  or  delusional  to  characterise.  All  such 
featureless  instances  of  psychasthenia  require  analysis.* 
This  should  not  only  serve  to  reveal  traumata,  but 
should  begin  by  making  a  careful  etiological  inquiry, 
the  physician  remembering  that  far  from  being  a  weary 
and  thankless  task,  when  properly  conducted  the  very 
process  of  inquiry  creates  an  immediately  curative 
effect,  whether  anything  definite  be  found  or  no.  In 
some  instances  a  commonplace  fear  or  an  inherited 
timidity  may  be  at  the  root  of  very  great  disorder. 
After  several  attempts  to  find  a  cause  in  one  such  case, 
it  was  remembered  that  the  patient — suffering  from 
severe  phobias — had  declared  that  nothing  whatever 
would  be  discovered  excepting  "  constitutional  cowar- 
dice." Here,  in  two  words,  was  all  the  analysis  one 
wanted,  as  time  went  to  prove.  Treated  by  the  method 
of  analysis  which  I  recommend,  the  patient  soon 
becomes  the  physician's  most  valuable  assistant. 

Many  patients  keep  their  complaints  going  just 

*  In  my  system,  to  be  explained  in  a  later  chapter,  I  have 
no  use  whatever  for  what  are  known  as  Freud's  or  Jung's 
systems.  My  method  is  rapid,  and  it  produces  dependable 
results  without  possessing  any  disadvantages  of  its  own. 


NEUROSES  31 

because  of  the  treatment  which  has  been  laid  down  for 
them,  designed  to  meet  their  disorder — so  often  does 
a  routine  happen  to  be  wholly  satisfactory  to  them 
from  every  point  of  view.  Should  this  frame  of  mind 
be  sufficiently  obvious  to  the  physician,  his  best  plan 
is  to  inculcate  an  energy,  an  active  disposition,  by 
an  induction  which  brings  in  full  play  of  emotion. 
Self -analysis  should  also  be  brought  to  bear,  making 
apparent  the  meanness,  unfairness,  and  unwisdom  of 
any  resignation  to  a  slothful  life. 

Yet  even  this  must  be  done  with  discretion  on  the 
part  of  the  physician,  and  with  due  regard  for  further 
depression  or  melancholia  which  may  be  ready  to 
develop.  Stimulation  of  emotion  should  always  be 
applied  indirectly,  or  by  innuendo,  and  should  be 
leavened  by  a  bright  cheering  mood  which  is  quite 
sincerely  applied.  In  analysing  for  negative  circles 
we  should  endeavour  to  estimate  the  proportional 
effect  of  the  different  arcs,  ascertaining  how  far  dys- 
pepsia may  be  contributing  to  the  whole,  or  how  much 
insomnia ;  also,  having  found  an  early  psychic  trauma- 
tism, whether  there  did  not  exist  dyspepsia  or  some 
other  negative  arc  before  this  had  occurred.  Inherited 
difficulties  are  very  often  found  to  be  at  the  back 
of  all. 

It  will  be  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  psychasthenics 
are  always  so  much  on  the  defensive,  that  disputation, 
and  even  antagonism,  often  becomes  the  dominant 
trait  manifested  in  ordinary  discussions  of  their 
cases  with  them.      This  naturally  follows  from  fearj^ 


32  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

which  begins  as  an  instinct  and  goes  on  accumulating, 
in  subconscious  calculation,  according  to  the  power 
and  the  kind  of  negative  arcs  encircling  the  patient. 
I  feel  bound  to  express  a  conviction  begotten  of  much 
observation,  that  the  usual  idea  that  one  should  urge 
employment  when   treating   such   cases   is   one   that 
requires   very   considerable  modification.     Take   the 
case  of  a  man   in  whom  there  were  many  arcs  of 
negative  "circling,"  one  of  the  deepest  being  the  fact 
that  his  relatives  despised  him  because  he  would  do 
nothing,  describing  him  as  lazy,  "  fat  enough  to  work," 
and  heaping  upon  him  expressions  of  reproof  which 
nearly  drove  him  to  suicide.     The  very  first  "  positive 
arc"  which  I  felt  obliged  to  implant  in  his  mind  was 
the  correction  of  this  mass  of  negative  injunctions  in- 
flicted on  him  by  his  relatives,  by  telling  him  (a)  to 
take  no  notice  of  what  other  people  had  been  saying ; 
(d)  that  he  would  work  all  right  when  he  felt  well 
enough.     In  twenty-four  hours  these  points  of  view 
helped  to  make  two  other  "positive  arcs";  he  slept 
better,  and  he  had  less  indigestion  after  food. 

Employment  should  be  suggested  to  patients  only 
after  they  have  been  made  well  enough  to  consider  it. 

It  is  true  that  advisers  who  never  suffer  from  sea- 
sickness are  those  most  given  to  urging  sufferers  to  "  go 
down  to  every  meal  and  eat,  whether  they  wish  or  no ;" 
while  there  are  people  who  declare  that  epileptic  confu- 
sion is  "downright  naughtiness,"  and  that  it  ought  to  be 
punished.  But  the  physician  who  has  studied  psycho- 
therapy knows  better. 


NEUROSES  33 

"If  I  had  to  work  I  should  not  be  where  I  am,"  a 
wealthy  lady  in  an  asylum  told  me.  She  was  right, 
and  she  was  wrong.  She  had  intelligence  enough  to 
know  that  work  was  healthy,  but  she  could  not  engage 
in  work,  as  she  was  then  suffering.  When  I  had  got  her 
well  enough,  it  was  not  at  all  necessary  to  tell  her  to 
work ;  she  became  industrious  quite  of  her  own  accord. 
Psychasthenics  may  he  obstinate,  for  the  reasons 
given :  the  very  mention  of  work  will  often  produce 
further  incapacity  for  action.  But  continue  to  treat 
a  case  properly,  and  just  as  surely  as  the  patient  will 
presently  arrive  at  self-analysis,  so  she  will  presently 
work  when  she  can  work,  thanks  to  auto-suggestion  and 
natural  inclination. 

Precisely  the  same  observations  are  applicable  to 
the  question  of  work  in  the  case  of  sufferers  from 
phthisis,  in  which  disease  there  is  a  psychasthenic 
arc,  as  we  shall  see  in  a  later  chapter. 

To  prove  the  possibility  of  work  when  suggesting 
employment  is  very  important  in  inductive  treatment ; 
and  the  physician  often  finds  this  rather  difficult.  A 
lady  came  into  my  hands  who  was  suffering  from  very 
severe  psychasthenia,  after  having  been  in  a  home  for 
observation  for  twelve  months.  There  were  only  three 
"arcs"  which  seemed  to  me  to  count  in  "negative 
circling";  there  were  several  others,  but  they  were 
quite  inconsiderable.  The  three  were :  (a)  worry 
about  her  husband ;  {b)  the  feeling  that  she  could  do 
nothing;  {c)  the  idea  which  she  had  gleaned,  from 
conversations  which  she  could  not  help  overhearmgj 

3 


34  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

that  she  was  Hkely  to  go  out  of  her  mind.  I  treated 
(a)  and  (<:)  quite  easily,  while  the  patient  clung  to  (Jb) 
with  the  tightest  of  grips.  She  declared  that  she  could 
not  read,  because  she  could  not  follow  the  words,  either 
by  sight  or  understanding.  I  therefore  found  it  neces- 
sary to  set  traps  for  her,  having  roughly  tested  her  eye- 
sight. I  asked  her  to  look  on  a  page  of  a  book  in  order 
to  distinguish  certain  words.  I  found  she  could  differ- 
entiate between  large  and  small  words.  I  therefore 
remarked  :  "  But  you  told  me  you  could  not  read  a 
single  word !  Ah,  well ;  I  want  you  to  be  quite 
accurate.  You  therefore  can  see  words."  Induction 
afterwards  enabled  her  to  take  an  interest  in  seeing 
more  words,  until  one  day  she  announced  the  marriage 
of  a  great  friend.  I  asked  her  who  had  written  to  her 
about  it,  in  order  to  see  if  I  could  secure  her  admission 
of  having  read  a  letter — a  nurse  being  accustomed  to 
read  all  her  letters  to  her,  as  I  had  understood.  She 
replied  that  she  had  caught  sight  of  it  in  the  paper. 
"  What  were  you  doing  looking  at  the  paper  ?"  I  asked. 
"  I  was  holding  it  in  my  hand,  trying  to  make  out  the 
headlines,  for  practice,"  she  replied.  Further  induc- 
tion made  use  of  this  incident.  Not  that  the  patient 
was  really  dishonest;  she  had  thought  she  could  not 
read  a  word,  in  fearing  that  her  case  would  not  be 
considered  sufficiently  serious,  until  at  length  she  had 
become  obsessed  with  the  idea.  Induction  on  lines 
which  developed  a  capacity  that  was  at  first  quite 
infinitesimal,  but  was  frankly  accepted,  enabled  her  in 
four  weeks  to  read  all  the  chief  news  of  the  day,     Had 


NEUROSES  35 

she  been  told  that  she  could  read,  and  that  she  was 
lazy  and  untruthful,  she  would  at  this  moment  be 
languishing  in  another  home,  instead  of  being  in  per- 
fect health  and  exercising  uncommon  ability  in 
ordinary  life. 

Sometimes  a  patient  will  elect  to  take  no  notice  of 
questions  asked,  making  an  interview  seem  of  little 
apparent  use,  as  though  not  understanding  anything 
said  to  her;  in  such  a  case  induction  should  be  com- 
menced by  means  of  studied  conversations  with  a 
nurse  or  friends  in  the  patient* s  presence^  the  physician 
knowing  perfectly  well  that  the  patient  will  take  in 
every  word.  If  tactfully  done  the  patient  will  possibly 
speak  quite  freely  on  the  next  occasion. 

I  give  the  following  three  cases  by  way  of  illustra- 
tion :  A  young  lady  of  twenty-eight  years  of  age  had 
for  years  been  the  puzzle  of  consultants  in  two  con- 
tinents. In  England  every  remedy  was  tried,  from 
high-frequency  currents  to  the  Weir-Mitchell  treat- 
ment, without  favourable  effect.  As  she  was  suffering 
from  dyspepsia,  constipation,  and  emaciation,  mas- 
sage, strict  confinement  to  her  bed,  and  a  course  of 
feeding-up,  were  prescribed  by  yet  another  consultant. 
After  three  weeks  of  this  treatment  the  patient  had 
lost  weight  alarmingly,  to  the  amazement  and  dis- 
appointment of  all.  Her  insomnia  was  greatly 
aggravated.  When  the  patient  came  into  my  hands 
induction  toward  the  subconscious  was  fortunately 
allowed  in  the  second  interview,  after  which  analysis 
detected  the  folie.     The  patient  described  her  tendency 


36  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

to  think  and  to  act  in  direct  opposition  to  all  persua- 
sion. In  despair,  and  afraid  of  everybody  and  of  all 
recommendations,  she  evolved  a  mood  of  universal 
perverseness.  She  further  explained  that  three  years 
previously  she  had  been  quite  certain  that  one  of  her 
doctors  had  been  entirely  wrong  in  thinking  that  her 
womb  was  at  fault ;  she  believed  that  he  was  merely 
guessing.  This  patient  made  a  fairly  rapid  recovery, 
to  the  immense  satisfaction  of  the  consultant  who  had 
recommended  psychotherapy  after  so  many  other 
treatments  had  failed. 

A  man,  aged  forty-seven,  had  been  treated  for  some 
eighteen  years  for  various  attacks  of  psychasthenia — 
by  travelling,  electricity,  massage,  lymph  and  culture 
injections,  rest-cures  in  bed,  and  so  on,  until  he  got  out 
of  patience  and  became  very  irritable  and  despairing. 
At  length  petulant  opposition  grew  into  active  resist- 
ance; he  first  refused  medicine,  then  food,  and  after- 
wards declined  to  take  any  notice  of  anyone.  He  was 
consequently  restrained  and  subjected  to  force.  On 
being  sent  to  me,  I  reversed  the  tactics,  the  great 
contrast  in  itself  being  such  a  relief  to  the  patient  as  to 
cause  him  to  attend  to  the  very  different  recommenda- 
tions addressed  to  him  in  respect  of  his  case,  the  result 
being  that  for  two  weeks  he  consented  to  take  food. 
He  would  only  take  medicine,  however,  upon  my  offer- 
ing to  taste  a  dose  myself  out  of  his  bottle  in  his 
presence.  I  treated  him  largely  by  observations  made 
to  a  third  party  present,  after  getting  him  to  close  his 
eyes  for  a  few  moments  at  a  time  by  tiring  him  out 


NEUROSES  37 

with  platitudes.  Each  day  or  two  some  ground  was 
gained,  and  he  continued  to  make  progress  until  he 
completely  recovered.  He  then  declared  that  he  had 
concluded,  when  ill,  that  no  efforts  would  ever  be  of 
any  avail  to  save  him. 

As  an  example  of  partial  benefit  the  following  case 
is  worth  studying.  A  lady  forty-six  years  of  age  had 
been  for  some  years  psychasthenic,  for  no  reason  what- 
ever that  could  be  discovered;  she  gradually  became 
worse,  developing  symptoms  of  melancholia.  She 
would  do  nothing  but  very  slowly  dress  and  take  a 
little  garden  exercise ;  eating  just  enough  to  keep  alive, 
refusing  to  see  anyone,  and  crying  a  great  many  times 
each  day.  She  said  she  did  not  want  anything,  not 
even  doctors.  She  would  listen  to  nobody's  arguments 
or  persuasions,  declaring  that  she  was  past  all  help, 
and  ridiculing  any  suggestion  for  her  benefit.  She 
altogether  declined  to  see  one  doctor  who  called 
repeatedly.  Her  distinguished  consultant  sent  her  to 
me  for  psychotherapy.  She  declined  to  see  me  for  a 
week.  I  sent  a  lady  to  call  upon  her  daily;  she 
received  her  kindly  but  deprecatingly ;  at  length  she 
took  the  advice  given  that  she  should  see  me.  For 
two  weeks  she  would  only  submit  to  my  very  simple 
conversations,  after  which  she  very  reluctantly  con- 
sented to  start  a  course  of  induction.  I  told  her  that 
she  need  only  close  her  eyes,  and  that  if  she  did  not 
understand  what  I  said  she  was  to  say  so  and  I  would 
explain.  She  ridiculed  the  idea  that  this  could  do 
any  good.     After  three  treatments  of  twenty  minutes 


38  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

each  she  seemed  to  divine  subconsciously  that  favour- 
able effects  would  follow,  for  she  became  more  cheerful 
and  went  out  and  bought  a  new  hat.  Unfortunately 
the  nurse  noticed  this,  and  mentioned  it  to  the  patient 
as  a  favourable  sign.  She  now  began  to  dislike  the 
idea  of  any  further  treatments,  yet  consented  to  take 
another.  Analysis  following  this  treatment  revealed 
an  unhappy  relationship  with  a  very  near  relative; 
whereupon  she  would  consent  to  no  further  treatment, 
for  it  became  clear  to  her  that  recovery  must  mean  a 
return  to  this  same  relationship.  All  the  former 
obstinacy  and  resistance  then  returned. 

I  have  explained  to  many  medical  men  and  anxious 
relatives  that  psychotherapy  will  not  do  everything, 
nor  will  it  always  do  anything.  It  will  not  find  new 
husbands  or  wives;  it  will  not  restore  lost  property; 
it  will  not  make  brain  power  when  the  brain  convolu- 
tions are  too  few  in  number.  There  are  bound  to  be 
incurable  cases,  incurable  owing  to  outside  conditions 
which  cannot  be  altered  satisfactorily. 

Amongst  the  most  difficult  patients  to  deal  with  are 
those  in  whom  genuine  physical  disorder  is  compli- 
cated by  crafty  purposive  design  or  hysterical  artifice. 
Difficult  cases  indeed  provide  all  conceivable  blends 
and  shades  of  reality  and  falsity.  When  dis- 
appointment, covetousness,  or  jealousy  are  at  the  root 
of  the  crying  evil,  one  may  really  expect  anything, 
according  to  the  bias  of  inherited  temperament  or  the 
urgings  of  emotional  sensitiveness.  I  am  thinking  of  a 
case  in  which  genuine  disorder  prompted  the  deliberate 


NEUROSES  i^ 

'design  to  deceive  and  baffle,  because  it  paid  so  well, 
until  the  lady  overreached  herself  by  embezzling  some 
of  the  funds  which  had  been  given  in  aid  of  poor 
people  suffering  in  the  same  way.  Her  behaviour  upon 
accusation  revealed  the  fact  to  the  least  acute  beholder 
that  she  had  for  the  most  part  been  shamming.  Her 
hurried  volitional  departure  for  fresh  fields  completed 
her  cure,  indignant  protestations  of  innocency  ap- 
peared to  help  enormously  in  dissipating  most  of  her 
symptoms. 

More  difficult  still  are  cases  in  which  stigmata  of 
degeneration  are  to  be  found,  such  as  badly  shaped 
heads,  marked  asymmetry  in  facial  features  or  in  the 
organs  of  special  sense.  One  might  imagine  that  such 
cases  should  really  be  classed  as  quite  imsuitable  for 
induction  of  the  subconscious ;  but  the  fact  is  that  many 
of  them  improve  greatly  under  its  training.  I  have 
frequently  seen  decided  asymmetry  of  features  be- 
come absolutely  regular. 

No  notes  might  be  considered  complete  in  these  days 
unless  some  reference  were  made  to  the  types  of 
psychasthenia  incidental  to  active  warfare.  But  the 
fact  is  that  such  cases  need  little  special  consideration, 
for  they  fall  naturally  into  the  various  categories  of 
nerve  and  mind  disorders  which  are  occasionally 
observable  in  times  of  peace;  their  treatment  will 
require  little  more  additional  study,  once  the  principles 
of  treatment  by  psychotherapy  are  appreciated  as 
applying  to  strains  and  stresses  of  neurone  function 
whatever  the  nature  of  the  causation  may  be. 


46  '  ADVANCED  SUGGESTIOKf 


Hysteria 

Everyone  must  allow  that  a  patient  whose  symptoms 
exhibit  in  a  few  hours  trains  of  thought  which  range 
from  exhibitions  of  the  clearest  and  most  capable 
intelligence  to  moods  of  pugnacious  recalcitrancy 
that  will  brook  no  reasonable  correction,  which 
present  features  distracting  to  anxious  relatives  and 
puzzling  to  doctors,  and  offer  an  infinite  variety 
of  simulated  pains,  incoherent  arguments,  illusions, 
anaesthesias  and  paralyses,  while  the  patient  laughs, 
swears,  or  cries  by  turns,  in  the  face  of  tender  maternal 
admonition,  being  altogether  unaffected  by  the  family 
adviser's  old-fashioned  bromides  and  valerian,  likely 
to  give  much  trouble  to  everybody  concerned.  But 
how  easy  all  becomes  when  tackled  by  an  experienced 
psychotherapy  ! 

In  hysteria  there  is  a  history  of  an  emotional  crisis ; 
dissociation  has  been  effected  by  some  strain  or  shock 
sustained.  Ideas  of  dissimulation,  creating  purposive 
dissociation,  arise  in  the  mind  of  the  patient,  as  a  means 
of  self-defence.  Should  there  be  anything  to  be 
ashamed  of,  and  should  painful  difficulties  find  no 
outlet  in  ordinary  ways  of  communication  because  of 
the  prevailing  inco-ordination  and  chaos,  the  patient 
will  make  excuses,  and  in  her  fear  will  adroitly  clutch 
at  opportunities  for  adding  to  her  means  of  self- 
defence.  She  will  accept  any  hint  which  may  fall  from 
careless    observers,    for    this   may   help    her    in    one 


NEUROSES  41 

direction,  but  it  may  succeed  in  adding  to  her 
troubles  in  another;  thus  she  may  become  violent  in 
her  mania  for  making  further  difficulties.  She  will 
almost  seem  to  enjoy  deluding  and  defeating  all 
efforts  made  on  her  behalf.  Hysteria  is  a  wholesale 
camouflage  for  concealing  mental  difficulties.  Urgent 
repression  and  conflict  give  rise  to  frantic  internal 
stress  and  external  demonstrations. 

Psychotherapy  of  the  right  kind  will  facilitate  re- 
association  and  easy  communication  with  the  exterior ; 
it  will  restore  co-ordination,  firstly  in  the  internal  pro- 
cesses of  reasoning,  and  secondly  in  ordinary  conversa- 
tional intercourse  with  others. 

In  such  cases  the  weakness  of  Freud's  analysis — the 
analysis  of  other  days  and  dreams — is  self-evident. 
The  conditions  above  recited  mock  the  efforts  of  "  word 
association"  and  similar  failures;  and  if  absolutely 
useless  in  hysteria,  what  proportionate  value  are  such 
methods  likely  to  possess  in  any  disorder  whatever  ? 

The  first  steps  to  be  taken  in  hysteria  are  those  of 
induction  towards  the  subconscious.  The  rest  will  be 
easy.  The  patient  will  very  quickly  learn  to  analyse 
herself  if  subjected  to  a  suitable  technique. 

A  very  fair  example  of  self-analysis  subsequent  to 
induction  is  the  following,  taken  from  notes  not  a  week 
old  at  the  time  of  writing  these  pages.  The  patient, 
though  a  difficult  one  as  commonly  considered,  was 
not  asked  a  single  question.  At  first  it  was  difficult 
to  obtain  a  quiet  moment.  At  the  outset  exhaustion 
facilitated   the  initiatory   induction   of  the  physical 


4^  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

sensation  of  relaxation;  mental  relaxation  followed 
ipso  facto.  After  the  second  treatment  on  the  follow- 
ing day  she  seemed  quite  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
converse,  and  exhibited  signs  of  returning  ease  and 
understanding.  She  now  made  a  number  of  remarks, 
which  included  the  following  : 

"  I  have  for  years  been  trying  to  read  other  peoples' 
thoughts." 

"  I  feel  now  more  inclined  to  examine  my  own." 

"  What  an  awful  fool  I  have  been  ! " 

"I  seem  to  have  been  in  a  kind  of  horrid 
dream." 

"  What  should  I  have  done  without  this  help  ?" 

"  What  a  narrow  escape  I  have  had — they  spoke  of 
an  asylum!" 

"  I  feel  now  quite  different." 

"Last  night  I  slept  splendidly,  and  without  any 
tablets." 

Patients  may  vary  from  day  to  day  under  treatment ; 
a  drop  in  progress  must  not  disconcert  the  physician  in 
the  very  least.  An  exhibition  of  marked  lucidity  is 
almost  sure  to  be  followed,  sooner  or  later,  by  a  minor 
degree  of  recurrent  obfuscation  and  riotous  confusion. 
The  following  represents  the  oscillating  progress  made 
in  a  case  of  hysteria  which  had  gradually  developed 
over  a  period  of  five  years,  owing  to  various  circum- 
stances which  had  imposed  a  series  of  shocks  upon  a 
condition  of  nerve  strain — hte  patient  having  inherited 
a  tendency  to  the  latter : 


NEUROSES  43 

Twelve  Treatments  over  Four  Weeks  • 


t  2   3  4   5   6 


lO 


II 


12 


The  number  of  weeks  which  must  elapse  before  a  case 
under  treatment  recovers  and  maintains  normality  will 
vary  according  to  the  symptoms  and  the  duration  of 
the  illness.     A  study  of  environment  should  not  be 
omitted   during  treatment,  for  much  will  naturally 
depend  on  this.     A  patient,  when  recommended  treat- 
ment, may  take  shelter  behind  irresolute  relatives,  and 
refuse  to  do  as  she  is  told ;  therefore  all  must  be  firmly 
instructed  to  assist,  as  may  seem  requisite,  in  "  corner- 
ing" the  patient  and  holding  her  to  any  admission  in 
any  manner  reasonably  indicated.    Some  patients  are 
better  entirely  away  from  relatives ;  but  I  cannot  agree 
that  all  are.     A  very  nice  judgment  must  be  exercised 
as  to  what  environment  is  likely  to  be  helpful.     During 
the  first  week  or  two  patients  may  possibly  make 
strenuous  efforts  to  get  away  from  the  treatment— 
though  this  is  extremely  rare.     Instead  of  finding  the 
methods  quite  pleasant,  and  something  to  look  forward 
to  (which  is  the  rule),  they  may  have  reasons  to  suspect 
that  an  approach  is  being  made  toward  something 
submerged,  which  they  are  afraid  to  have  brought  to 
light;  accordingly  they  may  make  various  excuses  in 
order  to  get  away — say  to  some  especially  attractive 
health  resort. 


44  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

The  most  difficult  cases  of  all  are  those  in  which  an 
old  love  affair  has  caused  deep  disappointment,  illness 
having  in  time  spoiled  the  health  and  appearance, 
making  it  hopeless  for  the  patient  ever  to  expect  a  fair 
chance  again.  You  may  at  first  get  the  thoughts  to 
run  on  nearly  normal  lines,  only  to  go  astray  again 
through  an  insufficient  desire  on  the  part  of  the  patient 
to  get  completely  well.  An  induction  must  therefore 
assist  in  the  creation  of  trends  of  thought  which  make 
for  separation  from  the  ties  of  former  emotions  and  a 
more  independent  mood;  sometimes  it  will  be  useful 
to  suggest  an  entirely  different  kind  of  future,  as  also 
the  pleasure  to  be  derived  from  many  other  things  in  life, 
and  the  real  delight  which  is  bound  to  arise  from  her 
feeling  that  it  is  possible  for  her  to  render  some  assist- 
ance to  others.  Emotional  impulses  may  be  roused  in 
order  to  stimulate  the  healthy  employment  of  mind  and 
body,  so  that  the  old  story  may  be  left  behind  in 
favour  of  new  possibilities.  A  simple  and  perfectly 
truthful  account  of  other  cases  may  well  be  given 
by  way  of  example,  in  order  to  throw  a  cheerful  light 
upon  the  outlook.  In  one  case  a  patient  felt  much 
happier  when  she  had  decided  that  there  was  more 
to  live  for  than  mere  marriage;  she  also  learned  that 
the  best  way  to  get  married  was  to  endeavour  to  think 
of  every  other  pleasant  pursuit  in  addition  to  this 
particular  one,  for  this  procedure  would  greatly  increase 
her  attractiveness.  Having  agreed  (at  the  suggestion 
of  the  physician)  to  abandon  altogether,  for  a  period  of 
twelve  months,  the  idea  of  becoming  engaged,  she 


NEUROSES  45 

was  delighted  beyond  all  expression  to  receive  an  offer 
six  months  after  the  date  of  this  temporary  renuncia- 
tion, and  from  quite  an  unexpected  quarter — from  a 
man  who  was  even  more  handsome  and  lovable  than 
the  previous  one  who  had  fallen  in  love  with  her,  for 
now  she  was  so  pretty  and  yet  seemed  to  think  so 
little  of  the  fact. 

In  hysteria  the  doctor  should  constantly  bear  in 
mind  (even  during  those  fits  which  seem  to  be  accom- 
panied by  utter  unconsciousness)  that  the  patient  may 
not  only  perfectly  well  understand  every  observation 
made  by  those  present  in  connection  with  her  case, 
but  may  be  gathering  information  which  will 
enable  her  to  devise  a  great  deal  of  further  trouble. 
Apparent  stupidity  and  lethargy  must  not  on  any 
account  be  presumed  upon  at  any  time ;  on  the  contrary, 
everything  spoken  should  be  of  the  nature  of  corrective 
suggestion,  and  the  more  indirect  this  is  the  more 
favourable  will  be  the  effect,  as  a  rule. 

I  am  bound  to  admit  that  in  many  cases  of  hysteria 
treatment  of  the  nervous  system  by  ordinary  hygienic 
means  and  medicines  will  so  far  improve  certain  arcs 
of  "negative  circling"  that  the  patient  will  gradually 
recover.  Adventitious  strokes  of  good  fortime  will 
sometimes  succeed  in  converting  a  negative  into  a 
positive  arc,  when  nothing  else  had  previously  proved 
of  use.  The  death  of  a  relative,  or  the  inheritance  of 
an  estate,  for  instance,  may  open  up  possibilities  that 
will  serve  to  loosen  the  bonds  of  thought  and  liberate 
the  mind  from  certain  hampering  physiological  in- 


46  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

fluences  in  a  manner  which  might  well  appear  magical. 
But  in  cases  which  are  at  all  difficult  psychotherapy 
must  henceforth  rank  as  the  first  specific.  We  must 
judge  these  with  due  regard  to  etiological  sequence, 
pathological  significance,  and  clear  psychological  re- 
quirements. 

We  shall  be  justified  in  reminding  ourselves  that 
psychasthenia  and  hysteria  are  very  frequently  associ- 
ated in  the  same  case;  long-standing  hysteria  can 
hardly  exist  without  causing  psychasthenia. 

Let  me  mention  a  case  of  hysteria  of  twenty  years* 
standing,  begotten  of  neurone  strain  and  shock.  A 
lady,  fifty-four  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  as  having 
suffered  from  pains,  anaesthesias,  contractures,  and 
spasms  of  various  limbs  and  regions  of  the  body.  She 
had  been  under  many  distinguished  specialists  in 
France,  Germany,  America,  and  England.  Her  case  had 
baffled  all,  from  Charcot,  quite  early,  onwards.  After 
three  weeks'  treatment  she  wrote  me  a  note  expressing 
her  pleasure,  saying  she  had  at  length  obtained  com- 
mand over  her  spasms  and  contractures,  and  that  she 
now  could  easily  prevent  their  occurrence,  mentioning 
other  points  of  improvement  in  her  health.  In  a  month 
she  gave,  without  being  asked,  a  lucid  history  of  her 
troubles,  plainly  and  intelligently,  her  face  and  de- 
meanour now  being  bright  and  her  spirits  quite  buoyant. 
She  suggested  to  me  the  probable  cause  of  her  limb 
spasms,  which  was  this  :  After  being  up  night  and  day 
for  a  week,  nursing  her  mother, "  twenty -one  years  ago," 
she  went  to  bed,  and  placed  a  hot-water  bottle,  which 


NEUROSES  47 

had  no  cover  on,  to  her  feet.  She  took  a  sedative  given 
her  by  the  doctor,  but  some  time  later  awoke  in  a  fright, 
with  a  stinging  pain  in  her  left  foot.  She  had  dreamed 
that  a  reptile  had  seized  hold  of  her  toe.  The  hot- 
water  bottle,  which  she  had  touched  by  chance  in  her 
movements,  had  probably  caused  this  nightmare.  She 
declared  that  she  had  never  really  got  over  the 
fright  of  this  incident.  Her  cure  tended  to  confirm  the 
significance  of  the  story. 

In  my  experience  there  is  no  royal  road  to  the 
detection  of  original  mind  traumata  in  neurasthenia, 
nor  need  analysis,  and  the  searchings  for  such,  be  always 
considered  a  sine  qua  non  procedure  in  our  efforts  for 
success.  I  had  practically  cured  the  patient  just 
referred  to  before  she  brought  out  her  history  in  detail. 
To  learn  of  traumata,  shocks,  and  strains  may  be  very 
valuable  and  interesting  at  times;  and  if  discovered 
they  had  better  be  dealt  with  en  route,  but  there 
has  been  an  inclination  shown  by  neurologists  and 
psychiatrists  in  the  past  to  attribute  too  great  an 
importance  to  just  one  particular  incident  in  a  patient's 
history,  as  accounting  for  a  whole  train  of  troubles. 
It  is  true  that  if  a  single  nerve  shock  is  effectually 
dealt  with  all  others  may,  in  some  instances,  take  them- 
selves out  of  the  field  of  disorder.  Searching  for  a 
very  rare  shell  on  the  beach,  and  finding  it,  will  not 
necessarily  make  a  seaside  place  pleasant,  nor  will  a 
bucket  and  spade  make  it  sunshiny  and  sanitary.  I 
have  known  patients  to  find  and  declare  traumata  in 
order   to   conceal   others;   treatment   has  eventually 


48  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

enabled  them  to  deal  with  the  latter  in  entirely  their 
own  way,  and  to  complete  their  cure. 

Hysterical  oedema  makes  an  interesting  study.  The 
most  interesting  case  I  have  to  record  is  that  of  a  lady, 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  who  developed  oedema  of 
the  left  leg,  which  had  apparently  originated  from  a 
few  inches  of  varicose  vein  below  the  knee.  Under  the 
circumstances,  her  surgical  adviser  hesitated  before 
operating.  She  was  sent  to  a  nursing  home  and 
ordered  to  bed,  etc.,  to  prepare  for  operation;  but  so 
far  from  any  favourable  effects  following  this  pro- 
cedure, the  swelling  began  to  extend.  Every  conceiv- 
able superficial  application  and  internal  remedy  was 
now  tried,  in  reason,  but  the  leg  increased  in  size  until, 
after  a  week  or  two,  swelling  appeared  in  the  abdomen. 
The  surgeon  would  not  operate,  and  the  parents  were 
anxious.  After  twelve  weeks'  rest  in  bed  the  patient 
went  home.  Subconscious  induction  not  only  served 
to  reduce  the  leg,  but  the  distension  of  the  varicose 
veins  was  very  soon  greatly  diminished.  Successful 
operation  was  in  due  course  performed. 

In  all  such  cases  vaso-motor  control  can  be  readily 
and  certainly  demonstrated  by  suitable  technique. 

Hysterical  contractures  appear  to  be  sustained  reflex 
posturings  consequent  upon  some  initiatory  idea  which 
has  entered  the  mind;  they  exist  even  during  the 
apparent  unconsciousness  of  natural  sleep,  but  dis- 
appear under  the  true  unconsciousness  produced  by 
deep  anaesthetic  inhalation,  which  inhibits  any  sensori- 
motor reflexes  by  its  toxic  and  paralysing  effects.     It 


NEUROSES  49 

is  a  well-known  fact  that  many  cases  of  hysterical 
contracture  are  cured  by  the  inhalation  of  chloroform. 
This  method  of  cure  is  greatly  facilitated  if  it  be 
pointed  out  to  the  patient,  by  way  of  simple  sugges- 
tion, under  a  small  dose,  that  the  contracture  has  dis- 
appeared, just  as  he  is  returning  to  consciousness. 
The  pain  perceived  upon  forcible  manipulation  of  an 
hysterical  contracture  is  to  be  explained  by  the  reflex 
opposition  aroused,  the  patient  tending  to  make 
abnormal  efforts  of  a  subconscious  character,  while  not 
precisely  intending  to  do  so  on  the  volitional  or  supra- 
conscious  plane;  so  that  a  determined  resistance  has 
become  automatic.  The  hysterical  patient  is  more 
resigned  to,  more  comfortably  satisfied  with,  her  con- 
tractures than  a  normally  minded  person  would  be, 
although  she  may  always  declare  that  she  is  greatly 
troubled  about  them. 

Vaso-motor  spasm  and  paresis  have  been  suggested 
by  Bastian  and  Savill  as  accounting  for  certain  symp- 
toms. Savill  found  that  hysteria  "consists  of  an 
instability  or  undue  irritability  of  all  the  nervous  and 
reflex  centres  throughout  the  body,  ajid  particularly 
those  of  the  vaso-motor  and  sympathetic  systems,  while 
hysterical  paralysis  or  tremor,  and  many  other  hysteri- 
cal phenomena  hitherto  unexplained  are  produced  by 
vascular  changes  in  the  nervous  system  and  elsewhere." 
He  further  admitted  that  emotion,  as  a  determining 
factor,  may  set  in  action  the  irritable  vaso-motor 
machinery.  Robinski,  on  the  other  hand,  believes  that 
symptoms  of  hysteria  are  implanted  wholsesale  by 

4 


50  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

physicians  and  by  the  patient's  friends.  Ormerod 
objects  "to  making  suggestibility  the  sole  canon  of 
hysteria."  He  is  undoubtedly  right  when  he  also 
reminds  his  readers  in  these  words :  "  That  we  all 
know  people  who  are  gullible  enough  who  are  not  at 
all  hysterical ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  many  hysterical 
patients  are  not  particularly  open  to  persuasion,  at 
any  rate  when  you  try  to  remove  their  symptoms  that 
way,  whether  in  hypnosis  or  out  of  it."  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  all  these  authorities  are  right ;  but  none  so  right 
as  Janet,  when  he  attributes  hysterical  defects  to 
"  feebleness  of  mental  synthesis,"  which  Ormerod  says 
"  has  to  be  inferred  and  cannot  be  directly  observed." 
My  reply  to  the  latter  is  that  it  can  be  observed  very 
decisively  and  clearly  by  the  physician  during  treat- 
ment by  induction  of  the  subconscious. 

Phobias 
It  might  safely  be  stated  that  whenever  you  have  to 
deal  with  any  degree  of  psychasthenia  you  will  find 
phobias  of  one  kind  or  another ;  and  if  psychasthenia 
gives  rise  to  phobias,  so  also  do  phobias  give  rise  to 
psychasthenia.  On  the  one  hand,  there  is  a  weakened 
nervous  system  favourable  for  developing  phobias ;  on 
the  other  hand,  shocks  and  frights  so  affect  the  nervous 
system  as  to  render  it  inordinately  sensitive  towards 
anything  which  might  have  the  effect  of  a  neuron 
trauma,  so  much  so  that  the  person  becomes  possessed 
and  obsessed  to  an  extent  which  finally  makes  him 
psychasthenic. 


NEUROSES  5t 

Conceiving  the  possibility  that  injury  may  be 
inflicted  by  an  act  or  circumstance  has  an  effect  upon 
the  sympathetic  nervous  system.  In  order  to  create 
an  instant  defence,  even  non-reasoning  animals  when  in 
fear  of  injury  will  exhibit  exemplifications  of  almost 
synchronous  connection  between  sensory  stimulation 
and  reflex  power  of  movement  in  limb  and  skin. 
Human  beings  are  far  more  susceptible  than  animals, 
being  able  to  think  rapidly  and  intensely  upon  the 
sudden  perception  of  sensations;  hence  their  reflex 
sensations,  movements,  and  thoughts  are  magnified, 
according  to  the  acuteness  of  their  intelligence.  There- 
fore we  are  prepared  to  find  reasons  for  such  classic 
phobias  as  agoraphobia  (fear  of  open  spaces),  claus- 
trophobia (fear  of  closed  spaces),  amaxophobia  (fear 
of  carriages),  batophobia  (fear  of  heights),  zoophobia 
(fear  of  animals  and  insects),  and  others.  These 
phobias  manifest  themselves  chiefly  through  the  emo- 
tions, as  they  aff'ect  the  viscera,  skin,  and  glands. 
Just  as  in  cases  of  hysteria,  we  shall  find  a  history  of 
nerve  strains,  shocks,  and  traumatisms,  which  may 
have  been  lost  to  memory  amid  the  innumerable  con- 
fusing streams  of  thought  during  the  subsequent  years 
while  the  victim  has  been  concerned  in  the  ordinary 
affairs  of  life.  Whether  the  patient  is  able  to  recollect 
them  will  depend  largely  upon  their  nature.  There 
may,  moreover,  be  a  particular  reason  for  their  being 
forgotten.  As  a  rule,  sufferers  from  phobias  can  give 
no  cause  for  them;  induction  and  analysis  will,  how- 
ever, almost  invariably  bring  the  original  shocks  to 
mind. 


52  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Agoraphobia. 

A  common  idea  underlying  this  phobia  is  that  of 
insecurity,  giving  rise  to  an  impulse  to  catch  hold  of 
something,  or  to  obtain  help  of  some  sort.  Some 
patients  conceive  a  notion  of  falling  down  through 
space,  or  of  being  hurt,  while  there  is  nothing  and  no 
one  to  help  them.  This  arises  from  some  instance 
which  has  usually  occurred  in  childhood ;  for  example, 
a  child  in  the  fields  or  on  the  highway,  absorbed  and 
interested  in  something,  may  suddenly  have  found 
itself  alone — may  perhaps  have  been  left  picking 
daisies  in  a  meadow,  to  realise  that  its  companions 
have  gone  home. 

Patients  who  suffer  from  phobias  of  any  kind  have, 
as  a  rule,  been  nervously  sensitive  from  birth.  It  may 
be  possible  for  a  terrifying  experience  to  generate  a 
phobia  in  a  subject  who  has  always  been  quite  robust, 
but  this  must  be  very  rare.  As  an  example  of  such  a  case, 
I  may  mention  that  of  a  man,  twenty-nine  years  of 
age,  who  was  sent  to  me  suffering  from  agoraphobia, 
which  had  become  so  aggravated  that  he  could  not 
walk  across  a  small  market-place;  he  had  even  some 
difficulty  in  getting  across  a  street.  He  had  previously 
had  no  nervous  troubles  whatever,  and  his  family 
history  was  clear  mentally  and  physically.  His  phobia 
had  gradually  become  worse  over  a  period  of  three 
years.  It  had  arisen  from  a  vertigo,  which  was  caused 
by  astigmatism,  and,  although  this  defect  had  been 
treated   by   suitable   glasses,   which   had    cured    the 


NEUROSES  53 

vertigo  two  years  previously,  the  fear  of  going  into 
open  spaces  had  continued  to  grow  upon  him.  He 
had  forgotten  the  vertigo;  treatment  and  analysis 
enabled  him  to  remember  it. 

A  variety  which  is  contradistinctive,  but  sufficiently 
of  the  same  nature  as  to  justify  its  consideration 
under  the  heading  of  agoraphobia,  is  fear  of  crowds. 
Cases  of  this  kind  can  readily  be  analysed;  they 
usually  result  from  being  lost  in  a  crowd  during  early 
childhood.  The  case  of  an  auctioneer  may  be  men- 
tioned, who  broke  down  in  health  and  found  himself 
getting  into  panics  whenever  he  had  occasion  to  enter 
an  excited  assembly  of  men.  I  found  his  earliest  dread 
had  been  experienced  when,  as  a  child,  he  had  been 
with  his  mother  to  a  circus.  The  mother,  on  leaving, 
having  several  children  with  her,  missed  him  in  the 
crowd;  he  was  found  some  minutes  afterwards  in  a 
screaming  panic,  some  strangers  having  taken  charge 
of  him. 

It  had  better  be  clearly  borne  in  mind  that  trau- 
matisms, or  painful  experiences,  tend  to  develop  others, 
and  this  is  particularly  the  case  with  phobias;  thus 
we  have  an  additional  reason  why  original  shocks  are 
so  often  lost  sight  of.  The  fear  often  undergoes  an 
extension,  until  from  referring  to  crowds  it  embraces 
the  particular  conduct  of  the  patient  when  in  a 
crowd  :  many  patients  as  they  grow  older  will  retain 
the  fear  of  crowds,  but  will  develop  additional  anxious 
notions  as  to  what  precisely  they  will  do  when  in 
difficulties.     "  It  is  not  so  much  the  crowd,"  a  patient 


54  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

will  explain,  "  as  the  idea  that  I  shall  make  a  fool  of 
myself."  In  the  case  just  referred  to,  the  patient 
became  excited  when  in  a  crowd,  and  felt  that  he  must 
scream  aloud.  Repressing  the  latter  impulse  caused 
him  to  fall  down  "in  a  swoon,"  making  a  scene,  and 
having  to  be  carried  out.  He  further  developed  a  feel- 
ing of  armoyance,  and  became  distressed  because  he 
had  a  growing  inclination  to  lash  out  and  hit  some- 
body. Consequently  he  dared  not  continue  to  risk 
encounter  with  crowds.  Re-education  of  his  nervous 
system  gradually  restored  his  confidence  and  com- 
posure, and  he  was  able  to  resume  business  with 
greater  success  than  ever  before,  for  at  the  best,  in 
the  past,  he  had  been  working  under  some  indescrib- 
able difficulty. 

I  have  found  a  number  of  phobias  to  be  originally 
caused  by  practical  joking  in  childhood.  Nursemaids 
will  purposely  desert  their  charges,  hiding  behind  trees 
to  enjoy  their  panic.  Children  are  sometimes  dangled 
over  heights  or  forced  to  lean  over  parapets,  etc.,  in 
order  to  frighten  them,  by  spiteful  and  almost  crimin- 
ally disposed  persons,  apparently  just  for  the  fun  of 
the  thing.  I  can  recall  the  case  of  a  boy  who  would 
have  been  an  incurable  invalid  for  life,  perhaps  to  the 
extent  of  insanity  in  time,  had  he  not  been  properly 
treated ;  his  condition  was  caused  by  a  servant  slam- 
ming the  door  of  a  lavatory  and  bolting  it  upon  him,  in 
order  to  annoy  him. 

Some  cases  of  agoraphobia  have  originated  in 
exf)eriences  which  have  resulted  in  feelings  of  shame 


NEUROSES  55 

or  dislike  on  being  looked  at.     For  example,  a  man, 
thirty  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  suffering  from  the 
fear  both  of  crowds  and  of  open  spaces.     He  got  into 
a  panic  if  he  could  not  readily  get  behind  something. 
I  found  the  cause  of  his  trouble  to  be  that  he  had 
vomited  in  a  crowd  when  a  small  child,  on  which  occa- 
sion he  was  stared  at,  and  could  not  hide  from  view, 
fearing   every   moment   that   he   would   surely   make 
another  hideous  exhibition  of  himself.     Another  case 
illustrates  how  the  same  sensation  had  finally  created 
reclusive  tendencies.    In  this  patient  dyspepsia  was  very 
pronounced ;  unaccountable  and  unexpected  vomiting 
was  daily  anticipated,  making  him  entirely  unfit  for 
any   occupation.      He   only   felt   fairly   happy   while 
wandering  in  country  lanes.     A  curious  point  about 
his  case  was  that  he  had  never  actually  vomited  after 
the  original  painful  experience,  from  any  cause  what- 
ever, not  even  in  a  bad  sea  when  crossing  the  Channel. 
Indeed,  he  never  remembered  having  vomited  in  his 
life  until  treatment  and  analysis  revealed  the  single 
instance  of  childhood.     He  always  took  good  care  to 
go  nowhere  unless  certain  that  there  would  be  a  place 
to  which  he  could  retire  at  need. 

Treatment  should  correct  erroneous  ideas  in  the 
subconscious,  abnormal  impulses  being  negatived  by 
positive  assurance,  various  kinds  of  indirect  encourage- 
ment being  given  in  order  to  stimulate  energy  in  the 
right  direction  through  emotional  conception.  Simple, 
plain,  correct  thinking  should  be  learned  by  the 
patient  from  instances  of  such  given  by  the  physician. 


56  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

while  open-hearted  composure,  confidence,  and  steadi- 
ness under  all  conditions,  should  be  inculcated  as  a 
constant  virtue.  Tests  should  be  imposed  from  time  to 
time,  with  exercises  in  post-inductional  fulfilment — 
such  as  the  injimction,  for  example,  that  when  next 
requiring  to  post  a  letter  the  patient  himself  will 
deliberately  choose  the  difficult  way,  and  will  be  proud 
that  his  will-power  has  so  prompted  him.  The  injunc- 
tion should  be  so  often  administered  that  if  not  forth- 
with fulfilled  it  will  weigh  upon  the  mind  of  the  patient 
for  future  fulfilment,  each  failure  under  appropriate 
encouragement  only  serving  to  make  him  more  firmly 
desirous  of  success. 

A  very  good  plan  to  adopt  in  very  obstinate  cases 
is  this :  Ask  a  patient  to  state  just  exactly  what  he 
thinks  will  happen  to  him  under  difficult  circumstances ; 
get  him  to  describe  the  worst  fear  he  can  conjure  up 
in  his  hyper-imaginative  mind.  Then  surprise  him 
(after  a  few  treatments)  by  offering  to  go  with  him 
into  a  crowd  or  across  a  market-place,  in  order  to 
observe  the  dreadful  result.  Nothing,  of  course,  will 
happen  as  he  anticipated.  Then  implant  in  his  sub- 
conscious collection  of  experiences,  through  emotional 
appreciation,  this  proof  that  he  was  wrong,  as  a  new 
conquest,  to  which  others  will  soon  be  added.  While 
it  may  be  conceivable  that  an  attack  of  some  sort  might 
possibly  occur  if  the  patient  were  alone,  I  have  never 
known  ont  to  occur  during  a  test  if  he  were  accompanied 
by  the  physician  who  was  teaching  him.  Under  such 
circumstances  he  may  complain  of  illness,  and  may 


NEUROSES  57 

endeavour  to  appear  afraid,  but  an  experienced 
observer  will  know  how  to  detect  the  semblance  from 
the  full  reality,  and  will  deal  with  it  accordingly  in 
future  treatments.  The  absurdity  of  occurrence  while 
the  patient  is  alone  may  then  be  emphasised  to  the  sub- 
conscious. I  have  many  times  seen  pallor  in  the  faces 
of  patients  during  a  first  test,  but  never  on  a  second 
occasion. 

Recollect  that  there  are  no  royal  figures  of  speech 
which  will  cure  any  of  the  phobia  cases.  They  are 
certainly  not  to  be  won  by  any  kind  of  specious  artifice. 
On  the  contrary,  any  deception  will  be  likely  to  make 
them  worse.  Most  phobias  are  bad  habits  of  thought 
and  perception,  of  many  years*  standing,  and  only 
weeks  of  re-education  will  eradicate  them.  All  the 
supraconscious  appeals  which  the  cleverest  debaters 
could  devise  and  express  in  chorus  would  not  only 
fail  to  produce  any  favourable  result  whatever,  but 
would  probably  have  the  very  opposite  effect,  making 
the  patient  more  uncomfortable  than  ever,  and  inclined 
to  cease  to  converse  with  any  stranger. 

Some  patients  are  afflicted  by  the  fear  that  they 
might  die  in  public;  and  they  will  not  go  into  open 
spaces  or  among  crowds  lest  their  sudden  illness  should 
"  make  a  scene."  Others  are  afraid  of  crowds  lest  they 
should  be  attacked  by  some  terrible  and  indescrib- 
able seizure,  the  originating  cause  being  some  occasion 
in  childhood  on  which  they  witnessed  an  epileptic  fit. 
In  one  case  for  twenty  years  the  word  Fit  was  seen 
in  the  coal-flames  of  the  fireplace;  this  was  found, 


58  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

upon  analysis,  to  be  an  explanatory  word  which  had 
been  spelt  out  by  a  nursemaid  who  had  accompanied 
the  child  when  the  latter  had  seen  a  man  struggling 
and  making  horrible  faces  in  a  fit. 


Claustrophobia. 

Though  in  many  cases  the  seeds  of  this  disorder 
have  been  sown  in  childhood,  after  the  fashion  ex- 
plained when  considering  agoraphobia,  quite  a  number 
of  cases  have  originated  in  heart  panic,  which  makes 
the  person  anxious  to  find  someone  who  can  give 
assistance,  often  feeling  absolutely  beside  himself  with 
fear.  Having  once  experienced  such  a  shock,  a  person 
sensitively  constituted  will  avoid  a  railway  carriage 
as  though  it  were  a  death-trap.  It  is  the  sympathetic 
nervous  system  which  is  mainly  affected  in  this  as  in 
every  kind  of  phobia.  Once  the  system  has  received 
a  shock  of  some  severity  in  childhood,  it  seems  ready 
in  future  to  respond  to  the  slightest  suggestion  or 
sensation  that  the  experience  might  be  repeated.  In 
most  of  the  severer  forms  of  phobia,  patients  almost 
invariably  complain  either  of  cramping,  painful,  sicken- 
ing sensations  in  the  region  of  the  stomach,  or  of  heart 
distress  and  palpitation.  They  not  uncommonly  turn 
pale  at  the  very  mention  or  thought  of  a  recurrence 
of  the  dread  experience,  showing  how  deeply  the 
original  thrill  has  penetrated.  It  follows  that  any 
sufferer  from  claustrophobia  is  relieved  when  he  knows 
that  opportunities  for  escape  exist  should  he,  more  or 


NEUROSES  59 

less  of  necessity,  be  temporarily  shut  in  anywhere. 
When  going  into  a  room  it  is  likely  that  the  first  thing 
looked  for  will  be  the  doors  and  windows,  while  the 
fastenings  of  the  doors  also  may  be  observed.  In 
amaxophobia  the  patient  is  comparatively  happy  in  a 
corridor  compartment,  where  he  can  get  to  other  people 
if  afraid.  In  many  of  these  cases  the  originating 
dread  has  been  complicated  by  an  awkward  and 
sudden  desire  to  visit  the  lavatory  of  the  compartment, 
at  an  early  age. 

A  good  plan  to  adopt  in  the  training  of  this  class 
of  case  is  to  induct  the  patient  to  remain  in  sub- 
conscious rest  in  a  room  by  himself.  Usually  he  will 
at  once  declare  this  to  be  impossible.  In  one  instance 
a  man  assured  me  that  he  would  run  out  of  the  door 
immediately  if  I  left  him  alone,  and,  with  a  rapid  con- 
jecture, he  followed  this  up  by  saying :  "  And  if  you 
lock  the  door  I  shall  be  out  of  the  window,  though  I 
know  quite  well  there  is  a  deep  drop  into  an  area." 
He  had  divined  the  existence  of  an  area  from  the 
formation  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  building  outside, 
which  he  had  rapidly  scanned  as  he  looked  out  of  the 
window  on  entering  the  room.  He  was,  however,  quite 
cured  of  all  this  urgency  in  one  sitting.  I  told  him, 
after  induction  towards  the  subconscious,  that  I  should 
remain  with  him  on  this  occasion,  but  that  he  would 
be  quite  content  to  be  alone  on  the  next. 

Many  patients  who  suffer  from  phobias  are  quite 
content  to  continue  disordered,  notwithstanding  the 
advice   of   friends    that   they    should    seek    c^    gure. 


6o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

They  have  become  so  accustomed  to  arousing  interest 
by  narrating  their  peculiar  experiences  that  they  will 
reluctantly  part  with  these  individual  attributes.  When 
diagnosis  reveals  the  fact  that  they  are  only  luke- 
warmly anxious  to  become  normal,  induction  is  so 
applied  as  considerably  to  augment  their  desire  to  be 
cured,  by  creating  emotional  shame  or  by  pointing  out, 
for  subconscious  realisation,  the  greater  advantage 
of  being  like  other  people. 

A  patient  was  sent  to  me  suffering  from  phobias  in 
whom  analysis  revealed  a  history  of  nervous  shock  at  a 
time  when  he  was  overwrought  in  connection  with  some 
Stock  Exchange  transactions.  I  found  that  he  would 
rather  continue  to  put  up  with  the  phobias  than  get  well 
enough  to  return  to  city  life.  There  are  patients  who 
become  so  accustomed  to  looking  for  sympathy  that 
they  would  rather  put  up  with  the  phobias  than  become 
less  interesting.  There  are  more  advanced  instances 
still  in  which  the  patient  will  so  hanker  after  "  negative 
circlings  "  that,  failing  to  get  enough  out  of  his  usual 
phobias,  he  will  argue  that  his  worst  fear  is  that  he 
is  in  danger  of  becoming  insane.  A  patient  of  this 
class  remarked  :  "  The  biggest  trouble  I  have  is  the 
knowledge  that  I  have  phobias.  I  should  not  mind 
the  phobias  themselves ;  I  have  got  used  to  them."  In 
another  case,  the  patient  actually  declined  to  leave  off 
troubling  about  them,  advancing  the  argument  that 
though  she  no  longer  had  the  dreads  for  which  she 
originally  consulted  me,  she  was  even  more  distressed 
that  she  should  still  continue  to  imagine  that  she  had 


NEUROSES  6i 

them.  All  such  patients  should  be  finally  treated  by 
insisting  that  there  shall  be  a  ruling  out  of  all  reference 
to  the  subject  either  to  the  physician  or  to  anyone  else; 
they  should  be  told  that  it  will  be  more  and  more 
difficult  to  speak  of  them.  They  will  first  cease  to 
speak  of  their  "negatives"  to  the  physician;  this  re- 
ticence should  then  be  extended  to  all  and  sundry,  but  it 
will  usually  be  necessary  to  find  out  whether  reference 
to  the  subject  to  other  persons  has  really  ceased  before 
concluding  that  a  cure  has  been  effected.  If  there  is 
any  leakage  the  third  party  must  be  brought  forward  so 
that  the  falsehood  may  be  exposed,  to  the  discomfiture 
of  the  patient.  If  a  clear  instance  of  disobedience,  with 
the  ensuing  discomfiture,  be  emotionally  realised  by 
the  patient  after  a  very  serious  accusation,  this  will 
usually  dispel  all  tendencies  of  the  kind  in  future. 

Sympathetic  emotional  traumata  require  to  be 
treated  by  an  induction  which  re-educates  the  sensa- 
tions, causing  them  to  regress  along  the  paths  by  which 
they  came  into  being.  But  I  strongly  advise  that  no 
antipanic  should  ever  be  devised  to  correct  the  original ; 
this  procedure  would  probably  result  in  setting  up  yet 
further  nerve-strains.  Calm,  strong  and  deliberate 
measures  should  in  all  cases  be  adopted,  indirectly 
as  well  as  directly,  all  such  measures  being  designed 
to  relax  any  constraint  or  difficulty  of  thought  which 
may  exist  in  any  connection,  as  well  as  all  distresses  of 
retro-reflection. 


62  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Fear  of  Heights. 

Great  heights  arouse  unpleasant  feelings  in  most 
normal  people.  They  cause  thoughts  as  to  what  would 
happen  should  a  fall  occur.  A  "  shiver "  of  fear  sent 
through  the  sympathetic  nervous  system  of  a  child,  if 
severe,  may  implant  negative  sensations  of  a  per- 
manent character,  especially  if  undue  sensitiveness  has 
existed  from  birth.  Later  in  life  a  temporary  loss  of 
tone  provides  a  favourable  soil.  Those  who  are  not 
permanently  affected  are  more  robust  as  to  their 
nervous  constitutions,  being  able  to  break  away  from 
any  spell  to  a  normal  sense  of  security,  once  they 
have  had  time  to  reason  things  out.  Normally  a 
person  may  feel  a  momentary  shock,  but  he  will  very 
soon  correct  this  by  the  thought  that  such  and  such  is 
really  safe.  The  steeplejack  is  a  man  who  is  so  intent 
upon  his  work,  and  the  payment  he  will  receive  for  it, 
that  he  is  able  to  concentrate  his  mind  on  what  real 
security  exists,  as  he  has  good  reason  to  see  and  to 
know  it,  feeling  it  all  the  time  under  his  foot.  In  time 
he  becomes  quite  accustomed  to  relying  upon  it  in  prac- 
tice ;  he  is  thus  in  no  mood  for  being  afraid  at  any  time. 

In  treating  this  phobia  it  is  useful  to  get  the  victim 
to  perform  an  act  which  is  of  such  a  nature  as  will  divert 
his  thoughts,  while  it  is  at  the  same  time  opposed  to  his 
prevailing  dread.  A  patient  sent  to  me  by  a  distin- 
guished consultant  had  been  suffering  from  nervous 
breakdown.  Among  various  other  dreads  he  was 
incapable  of  going  down  ordinary  flights  of  stairs; 


NEUROSES  65 

this  had  gradually  developed  from  a  fear  of  great 
heights,  until  any  steps  at  all  were  distasteful  to  him. 
He  would  only  sleep  on  the  ground  floor  of  a  house ; 
he  would  not  attempt  to  patronise  hotels  which  had 
no  ground-floor  bedrooms.  " Negatives"  had  encircled 
him  until  his  life  was  hardly  worth  living.  In  treat- 
ment his  condition  of  general  nervous  shakiness  was 
first  of  all  steadied  by  induction,  so  that  his  insomnia 
and  dyspepsia  should  become  less  aggravating,  while 
some  sort  of  general  hopes  were  engendered.  Then 
variations  were  suggested  in  his  walking  exercise,  until 
a  bigger  test  seemed  indicated.  He  was  instructed 
in  the  presence  of  his  wife  to  assume  for  the  occasion 
that  she  was  ill,  weak,  and  afraid  of  steps.  I  expressed 
my  wish  that  he  should  take  her  to  the  top  of  "  Jacob's 
Ladder  "  (a  well-known  steep  flight  of  steps)  and  help 
her  firmly  all  the  way  down.  She  was  to  pretend  that 
she  was  helplessly  afraid  throughout,  making  the 
fiction  appear  as  real  as  she  could.  After  all  this  had 
been  clearly  explained,  the  man's  interest  having  been 
trained  by  induction,  the  two  went  forth  and  accom- 
plished the  task  with  the  greatest  success.  Going 
alone  down  the  same  steps  the  next  day,  he  gradually 
gained  his  confidence,  and  in  a  few  weeks  was  perfectly 
well  in  every  way. 

Various  other  Phobias. 
A  very  curious  phobia  came  under  my  observation 
among  the  complaints  of  a  patient  who  was  sent  me 
for  analysis.     He  could  not  carry  anything  in  his 


64  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

hands.  He  felt  obliged  to  drop  whatever  he  tried  to 
hold  for  more  than  a  moment.  This  affliction  became 
serious,  because  it  hindered  his  progress  in  employ- 
ment. At  length  he  became  entitled  to  a  junior 
partnership  by  reason  of  seniority,  being  very  capable 
in  other  respects.  In  his  growing  distress  he  there- 
upon grew  afraid  of  his  disability,  thinking  it  would 
develop  into  "mind  weakness,"  and  so  put  a  full-stop 
to  any  further  progress  in  his  career.  His  phobia 
extended  to  a  constant  fear  lest  he  should  be  asked  by 
anybody  to  carry  anything.  Analysis  proved  the 
trouble  to  have  originated  from  an  occasion  in  early 
boyhood  when  he  was  obliged  to  put  down  a  box  he 
was  carrying  because  he  felt  his  nose  was  running ;  he 
was  afraid  lest  others  should  notice  the  fact.  He 
explained  that  for  a  long  time  he  had  been  able  to 
carry  certain  things  in  one  handy  so  long  as  he  could 
get  the  other  up  merely  to  touch  his  nose  with  his 
fingers,  even  though  there  was  no  nose-running  to 
attend  to.  He  had  later  gone  to  the  length  of  refusing 
to  carry  anything  in  either  hand,  in  order  to  prevent 
his  ever  being  asked  to  carry  things  in  two  hands.  He 
hated  being  asked  for  explanations.  He  could  offer 
none.  Five  years  after  the  initiating  instance  he  would 
consent  to  carry  for  his  mother  only,  knowing  he  could 
easily  put  his  hand  to  his  nose  en  route  without  having 
to  explain  anything.  For  years  he  had  never  known 
any  real  necessity  for  a  handkerchief  when  required  to 
carry  anything.  Had  he  been  supraconsciously  com- 
pelled to  conquer  the  disability,  he  would  doubtless  have 


NEUROSES  65 

developed    other    "negatives,"    probably    far    more 
serious. 

Inordinate  dread  of  insects   and  certain  animals 
seems  easy  enough  to  understand.    Analysis  finds  each 
instance  to  have  originated  from  a  shock  or  scare  while 
the  general  health  v^^as  below  par,  or  when  the  nervous 
system  happened  to  be  suffering  from  a  sustained 
strain.     The  idea  that  patients  may  be  so  susceptible 
that  they  can  tell  when  certain  things  are  in  the  room, 
such  as  a  cat  or  a  spider,  while  ordinary  people  cannot, 
has  been  greatly  exaggerated.     It  is  true  that  some 
people  may  possess  an  unusually  acute  sense  of  smell, 
as  well  as  other  highly  cultivated  powers  of  discern- 
ing signs  and  symptoms  of  the  presence  of  things  they 
dread,   but  there   is   nothing   in   the  way  of  occult 
faculty,  divination,  or  clairvoyance  about  these  cases. 
I  cordially  agree  with  Sir  Ray  Lankester,  who  writes 
that  all  this  "  cat  and  spider  sense  "  is  utter  nonsense. 
I  have  this  explanation  to  offer :   The  victim  having 
been  at  some  time  below  par,  perhaps  long  ago  in 
childhood,  has  been  scared,  or  has  been  deeply  in- 
fluenced in  some  way,  beyond  the  normal,  by  a  scent, 
sight,  or  sudden  noise  which  indicated  the  presence  of 
something;  this  has  created  an  emotional  shock  be- 
cause of  its  momentary  objectionableness,  which  in  turn 
has  caused  a  particular  alertness  in  the  special  senses. 
The  result  is  that  things  dreaded  are  in  future  really 
subconsciously  detected,  while  the  supraconscious  mind 
will  not  be  able  to  explain  how  they  are  detected. 
Subsequently,  questions  regarding  this  strange  power 


66  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

produce  an  increased  subconscious  tendency  to  look  for 
the  objectionable  thing",  so  that  the  capacity  for  dis- 
covering it  is  more  definitely  than  ever  dissociated 
from  the  power  of  explaining  to  others  why  the  patient 
is  able  to  distinguish  its  presence.  Such  dissociation 
may  even  give  rise  to  untruthfulness  in  the  individual, 
who  may  have  actually  and  supraconsciously  seen  that 
an  object  was  present,  yet  will  declare  that  it  was 
impossible  for  him  to  have  done  so. 

Fear  of  animals  and  insects  may  also  be  associated 
with  sexual  sensations.  For  instance,  a  man  loathed 
dogs  and  cats ;  he  fell  ill  when  he  saw  them.  He  was 
sent  to  me  as  a  case  of  psychasthenia.  Analysis  dis- 
covered the  sexual  factor  quite  close  to  the  surface.  It 
was  found  that  the  dread  of  these  animals  was  associ- 
ated with  sexual  sensations.  The  latter  he  hated 
because  he  thought  they  were  injurious  to  him.  Hav- 
ing once  felt  a  sensation  of  sexual  excitement  when 
stroking  the  fur  of  a  cat,  and  having  been  informed 
later  on  that  seminal  emissions  caused  "  brain-sapping," 
he  had  developed  such  an  increasing  fear  of  cats  and 
other  small  animals  that  he  began  to  avoid  going  out 
of  doors.  Later  still  he  gradually  came  to  imagining 
that  animals  were  monsters  and  devils.  Suicide  then 
came  into  the  range  of  his  thoughts,  coupled  with  the 
inverted  idea  that  he  must  actually  go  and  look  for  the 
very  things  which  he  had  formerly  conceived  to  be  so 
terrible,  as  though  to  take  a  last  look  at  them  and 
die. 

This  was  a  very  interesting  case ;  it  was  found  that 


NEUROSES  67 

there  was  dual  and  conflicting  thinking  going  on, 
governed  largely  by  sexual  incontinence.  He  reached 
the  stage  at  which  he  hated  and  yet  desired,  reminding 
one  of  the  moth  and  the  candle. 

Fear  of  certain  kinds  of  food  is  not  an  uncommon 
phobia,  caused  by  some  sort  of  illness;  it  is  often 
established  in  childhood,  after  eating  something  which 
has  disagreed.  The  worst  case  I  have  seen  was  a  man 
forty-eight  years  of  age  who  had  burnt  his  mouth  when 
six  years  of  age  by  inadvertently  drinking  from  a 
bottle  containing  acid  which  he  had  reached  from  a 
shelf.  The  presence  of  food  caused  pain  in  the  mouth 
for  some  days  afterwards,  and,  being  nervous,  he  grew 
permanently  to  dislike  those  things  he  had  attempted 
to  eat  while  in  pain,  until  he  gradually  brought  other 
kinds  of  food  into  the  same  category.  At  length  he 
reached  a  stage  of  great  emaciation  and  weakness. 
Neuroinduction  gradually  restored  him  to  normality 
after  a  period  of  several  months'  training. 

There  are  many  other  phobias  and  varieties  of  cases. 
I  cannot  deal  with  all.  I  can  only  afford  space  to  give 
certain  illustrations,  in  order  to  substantiate  the  theo- 
retical aspect  of  the  problems,  and  to  introduce  a  few 
points  in  connection  with  such  afflictions,  a  knowledge 
of  which  would  seem  to  be  useful  and  important. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  in  cases  of  constipa- 
tion, enuresis,  and  many  other  nervous  disorders,  the 
more  pronounced  the  degree  of  the  disorder,  the  more 
easily  is  the  cure  effected  as  a  general  rule,  and  the 
more  rapid  is  the  result.     One  of  the  worst  cases  of 


68  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

phobia  I  have  ever  treated  made  the  most  marked 
recovery.  The  patient  was  a  young  man  who  could 
not  be  left  for  a  moment,  night  or  day.  He  would  not 
walk  a  yard  out  of  doors  without  a  companion.  After 
cure  he  asked  me  to  recommend  him  for  the  army :  I 
replied  that  I  did  not  feel  able  to  do  so.  The  next  I 
heard  of  him  (a  few  weeks  later)  was  that  he  had 
obtained  a  commission  in  the  army.  Later  he  joined 
a  more  combatant  corps,  and  finally  he  applied  for  a 
position  in  the  flying  corps. 

Epilepsy. 

Where  there  are  nerve  storms  of  any  kind  neuro- 
induction  will  serve  to  alleviate  them,  either  wholly  or 
in  part,  provided  any  intelligent  attention  on  the  part 
of  the  patient  is  at  all  possible  during  the  periods  of 
calm.     This  has  been,  and  can  be,  demonstrated,  in 
respect  of  all  grades  and  shades  of  "nerve  storm," 
from  bad  temper  to  haut-mal.     It  is  true  that  if  the 
induction  be  inexperienced  and  inadequate  the  very 
opposite  of  favourable  results  may  be  obtained.    Again, 
if  the  epilepsy  be  organic  one  may  get  no  result ;  this 
may  lead  some  authorities  erroneously  to  conclude  that 
in  all  cases  of  epilepsy  the  very  best  kind  of  psycho- 
therapy will  be  unavailing.     Also,  if  a  neurosis  belong 
to  one  of  the  hopeless  insanities,  psychotherapy  may, 
of  course,  fail. 

The  benefit  conferred  by  psychotherapy  in  epilepti- 
form conditions  (as,  indeed,  in  cases  of  bad  temper  also) 
is  quite  sufficient  to  compel  the  expectation  that  we 


NEUROSES  69 

should  obtain  some  degree  of  positive  result  in  cases  of 
haut-mal.  And  instances  go  to  confirm  the  supposi- 
tion. A  lady  was  sent  to  me  suffering  from  an  average 
of  150  fits  a  year.  She  was  in  every  way  extremely 
difficult  to  treat,  her  temperament  varying  from  mere 
morose  obstinacy  and  irritability  to  maniacal  attacks 
of  such  violence  that  only  very  large  doses  of  bromide 
could  appreciably  assuage  them.  Loss  of  memory 
and  considerable  dementia  also  existed.  Psycho- 
therapy soon  worked  wonders :  the  patient's  bad 
temper  rapidly  diminished,  and  she  gradually  altered 
for  the  better  in  every  respect.  Nor  was  this  altogether 
to  be  wondered  at,  inasmuch  as  induction  enabled  her 
to  feed  without  swallowing  her  food  whole,  as  she 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  doing,  and  to  accept  reason- 
able guidance  in  many  ways.  From  being  so  de- 
mented and  incapable  that  she  was  not  able  to  do 
anything  by  way  of  employment,  nor  to  converse 
excepting  in  monosyllables,  after  three  weeks'  treat- 
ment she  was  able  to  read  and  to  conduct  a  conversation 
quite  satisfactorily.  In  six  months  the  fits  had 
diminished  to  one  a  month.  No  medicines  of  any 
kind  had  been  administered. 

There  can  no  longer  be  any  doubt  whatever  that 
epilepsy  is  a  disorder  which  tends  to  make  itself,  and 
to  do  so  all  the  more  rapidly  once  there  has  been  a 
fit  of  haut-mal.  In  many  nervous  disorders  the 
patient's  knowledge  that  certain  attacks  occur  is  apt 
to  make  them  occur,  in  the  weakening  of  natural 
resistance  which  is  thereby  entailed.     Psychotherapy 


70  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

has  proved  in  my  hands  that  even  diminishing  the 
fear  of  fits  will  render  them  less  liable  to  occur.  All 
this  one  would  naturally  expect.  But  let  me  give  the 
instance  of  a  patient  whom  I  taught  how  to  prevent 
her  own  fits;  and  this  method  I  strongly  recommend 
as  one  likely  to  prove  of  the  utmost  value  in  the  treat- 
ment of  epilepsy  in  future.  The  patient  was  one  who 
could  never  distinguish  any  warning  whatsoever  that 
a  fit  was  impending.  In  subconscious  training  I 
clarified  her  thinking  and  co-ordinating  powers,  and 
made  her  happily  observant  of  herself,  in  a  mood  of 
hope,  begotten  of  the  benefit  so  far  derived  from  the 
treatment  she  was  undergoing.  I  educated  her  not  to 
look  out  for  any  abnormality,  but  to  distinguish  calmly 
any  sensation  which  might  occur  that  seemed  unusual ; 
when  such  did  occur  she  was  immediately  to  go  and 
lie  down.  The  result  was  that  on  one  occasion  she 
even  entered  the  garden  of  a  private  house,  in  order 
to  lie  down  on  the  lawn,  having  "  felt  queer "  when 
out  on  a  shopping  expedition;  in  this  way  she 
prevented  a  fit  from  developing. 

In  course  of  time  the  patient  told  me  she  was  much 
less  afraid  of  fits,  because  she  now  felt  able  to  stop 
them.  The  consequence  was  that  apart  from  the  feel- 
ing of  being  able  to  stop  them,  the  prodromal  sensa- 
tions themselves  occurred  far  less  often,  until  only  very 
unusual  worry  would  produce  them.  Later  on  nothing 
would  produce  them.  But  the  reader  will  meet  with 
the  very  counterpart  of  this  rationale  in  the  treatment 
of  other  nervous   disorders   as   expounded   in   these 


NEUROSES  71 

pages,  so  that  there  need  not  be  the  least  surprise  at 
the  attainment  of  such  results  in  epilepsy. 

In  our  studies  we  must  not  overlook  cases  in  which 
the  brain  is  so  constituted  from  birth  that  the  fitful 
functioning  of  certain  organs  will  necessarily  be  mani- 
fest ;  as,  for  instance,  the  heart.  Now,  while  even  this 
organ  can  to  some  extent  be  favourably  affected  by 
psychotherapy,  as  will  be  seen  in  a  later  chapter,  it 
may  rvappen  that  it  is  sufficiently  influenced  by  the  cen- 
tral abaormality  to  produce  a  rapid  toxaemia ;  this  may 
come  iito  play  as  an  arc  of  "negative  cirling"  which 
cannot  be  influenced  sufficiently  in  a  positive  direction 
by  psychotherapy,  constituting  such  an  advanced  de- 
velopment as  is  incurable.  In  one  of  my  cases  every- 
thing codd  be  dealt  with  favourably  excepting  the 
heart,  whi:h  could  itself  be  somewhat  better  regulated, 
but  not  entirely  governed.  It  is  fair  to  add  that  in 
this  case  there  were  pronounced  stigmata  of  degenera- 
tion, inducing  cranial  as  well  as  facial  asymmetry. 

Many  caes  of  epilepsy  exhibit  a  tendency  to  eat 
voraciously  :>n  occasions.  Now,  nothing  can  alter  the 
vagaries  of  astes  and  impulses  of  various  kinds  so 
readily  and  sirely  as  neuroinduction.  In  one  instance 
I  completely  and  permanently  cured  an  epileptic 
patient  by  dieting  and  regulating  the  appetite  alone, 
under  subconscious  direction,  having  found  that  the 
fits  always  followed  occasional  impulses  to  eat  quickly 
and  largely,  the  patient  having  been  found  by  previous 
observers  to  be  absolutely  impossible  to  control  in  this 
respect. 


72  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  warn  the  reader  that  if  the 
technique  throughout  is  not  a  sufficiently  wise  one 
unfavourable  results  may  possibly  follow.  The  first 
occasion  of  an  interview  or  of  treatment  may  be  an 
exciting  one  for  an  epileptic :  a  fit  may  follow — nay, 
I  can  conceive  that  it  might  occur  during  the  very 
first  interview  with  the  physician.  But  this  woiild 
not  indicate  that  psychotherapy  must  prove  of  IJttle 
value  in  this  particular  case.  Lhave  never  kndvn  a 
fit  to  take  place  during  treatment  by  subcoi^cious 
induction,  or  even  shortly  after  it.  From  tl^e  first 
moment  of  commencing  the  relaxation  the  ccndition 
of  ease  induced  cannot  but  be  likely  to  pre^nt  any 
sort  of  "  nerve-storm." 

Now  I  ask  the  best  of  all  physicians  wl^t  is  his 
rationale  and  method  of  treating  epilepsy,  leayng  out  of 
account  plain  commonsense  measures  direct/d  against 
"negative  arcs";  he  will  probably  reply  "Bromides; 
nothing  to  beat  them,  in  one  form  or  anotier.  They 
just  diminish  the  number  of  fits;  that  is  /ll  that  can 
be  said."  At  the  same  time  he  will  le  prepared 
honestly  to  own  that  they  have  great  diadvantages 
in  serious  cases.  They  are  like  narcoticsjn  insomnia ; 
they  must  to  some  extent  poison  the  ^tient  to  do 
him  any  good. 

Epileptiform  Seizures,  VertAo,  etc. 

Vertigo  will  benefit  from  psychotheipy  whether  it 
be  of  the  cardiac,  epileptic,  gastric,  jaryngeal,  psy- 
chasthenic,  aural,   or   ocular   variety /the   treatment 


NEUROSES  75 

will  act  both  directly  and  indirectly,  chiefly  the 
latter. 

Here  is  an  interesting  case  to  study ;  one  which  not 
only  presents  instructive  features  of  its  own,  but  which 
will  enable  the  reader  to  draw  useful  conclusions  when 
considering  the  varieties  of  vertigo. 

A  clever  city  business  manager,  twenty-six  years  of 
age,  was  sent  to  me  complaining  of  vertigo  and  other 
sensations,  which  had  been  diagnosed  as  incipient 
epilepsy  by  three  medical  men  and  as  dyspepsia 
by  another.  All  three  had  failed  to  cure  him.  He 
had  received  medicines,  and  had  also  been  advised  to 
take  a  holiday;  these  measures  resulted  only  in  a 
slight  alleviation  of  the  symptoms.  He  had  also  con- 
sulted an  oculist,  who  found  astigmatism.  The  wear- 
ing of  glasses  made  things  a  little  better  for  a  time, 
but  the  trouble  recurred,  until  it  had  become  as  bad 
as  ever,  and  its  frequency  was  now  greater.  The  dis- 
order had  commenced  twelve  months  previously,  when 
the  patient  felt  his  head  and  body  turning  to  one  side. 
Cold  weather  increased  the  vertigo.  His  sleep  was 
not  good.  Occasionally  he  felt  inclined  to  faint.  On 
beginning  to  walk  anywhere  he  felt  unsteady.  Worry 
about  his  condition  was  fast  making  his  whole  state 
worse. 

The  patient  had  no  bad  attacks  for  a  week  after 
the  first  treatment  by  suggestion.  A  slight  "sensa- 
tion" was  perceived  before  attending  for  the  second 
treatment.  On  the  third  day  he  was  clear  of  all 
abnormal    sensations,    and    this    went    on    until    the 


74  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

seventh  day,  when  he  was  again  troubled  by  a  shght 
sensation. 

An  analysis  was  now  undertaken,  which  revealed 
several  intentions  to  commit  suicide  on  learning  that 
the  disorder  was  epileptic.  The  patient  had  told 
others  to  take  his  razors  away,  and  had  bought  a 
safety  razor.  After  the  third  treatment  he  bought 
ordinary  razors  again,  liking  them  better  than  the 
safety  pattern.  Analysis  became  quite  easy  as  the 
mind  cleared.  In  two  weeks  I  dismissed  him  as  being 
quite  well  and  likely  to  remain  so. 

After  ten  weeks'  absolute  cessation  of  trouble  the 
attacks  began  again,  for  no  reason  that  he  knew  of. 
Again  he  felt  his  head  turning  to  the  right,  and  he  was 
also  conscious  of  an  inclination  to  walk  towards  the 
right.  On  walking  with  others  he  felt  unsteady,  but  he 
did  not  think  they  were  aware  of  this.  He  always  chose 
the  right  side;  later  on  he  preferred  to  walk  alone 
rather  than  explain  his  difficulties.  Later  still  he 
feared  collapse ;  he  had  to  "  make "  himself  go  any- 
where. Though  he  now  believed  that  psychotherapy 
was  not  a  lasting  treatment,  he  nevertheless  called 
again  upon  me  in  order  to  explain  matters — fortu- 
nately for  him.  This  time  he  complained  that  he  felt 
as  though  he  must  "  roll "  when  walking. 

The  return  of  any  patient  treated  successfully  by 
psychotherapy  being  so  very  rare,  I  viewed  the  case 
at  this  stage  with  all  the  greater  interest.  I  asked 
the  name  of  the  oculist  he  had  consulted.  I  sent  the 
patient  back  to  him.  Alteration  was  made  in  his 
glasses.     He  then  went  to  watch  a  football  match  with 


NEUROSES  75 

the  new  glasses,  after  having  obtained  firm  assur- 
ance that  they  were  correct,  but  he  collapsed  on  the 
ground.  I  therefore  reapplied  psychotherapy.  He 
had  no  more  trouble  after  two  more  treatments,  and 
is  still  well  after  a  couple  of  years. 

This  was  probably  a  case  in  which  epilepsy  was 
threatening  to  develop,  owing  to  (a)  astigmatism, 
and  {b)  an  abnormally  sensitive  nervous  disposition. 
Psychotherapy  cured  the  man  for  a  time,  notwith- 
standing an  astigmatism  which  was  not  properly 
corrected  by  glasses.  We  have  thus  an  instance  of 
recurrence  of  trouble  due  to  the  persistence  of  a  "  nega- 
tive arc"  of  a  provoking  nature.  Correct  glasses  did 
not  of  themselves  cure  the  condition,  but  in  conjunc- 
tion with  psychotherapy  they  did  so.  Some  might 
say  that  the  glasses  alone  would  in  time  have  effected 
a  cure;  yet,  again,  they  might  not  have  done  so,  for 
the  patient  had  lost  faith  in  everything.  Worry  would 
probably  have  fostered  sensations  of  insecurity,  to  be 
followed  by  other  "negative  arcs."  The  case  well 
illustrates  the  rule  that  when  once  a  patient  has  been 
cured,  even  temporarily,  by  psychotherapy,  the  treat- 
ment is  far  more  prompt  in  its  effects  if  it  should  be 
again  required.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  this 
patient  would  have  become  very  seriously  disordered 
had  it  not  been  for  the  application  of  psychotherapy. 
He  was  on  the  point  of  losing  his  post  as  manager 
of  a  large  business  concern  when  he  saw  me  first.  He 
feared  this  result  even  more  immanently  upon  the 
second  occasion. 


76  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Somnambulism  and  Night  Terrors 

Such  disorders  are  occasioned  by  the  adventitious 
discharge  of  neurone  energies  during  ordinary  sleep. 
They  belong  to  the  region  of  the  subconscious;  their 
connection  with  the  supraconscious  is  usually  but  not 
always  completely  severed.  A  neurone  instability  has 
been  produced  at  some  period  or  another  by  nervous 
stresses  or  shocks  which  have  affected  the  subconscious 
and  the  reflex  processes;  ideas  are  generated  which 
break  through  the  ordinary  state  of  sleep.  These  con- 
ditions may  well  be  postulated  from  the  following 
details  of  an  interesting  case : 

A  girl,  twenty-five  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  on 
the  advice  of  the  late  Sir  Francis  Cruise,  after  he  had 
conferred  with  Dr.  Lloyd  Tuckey  in  order  to  ascer- 
tain what  should  be  done  with  her ;  her  case  had  defied 
all  efforts  over  a  period  of  ten  years.  She  suffered 
from  somnambulism  to  such  a  degree  and  of  such  a 
nature  that  nobody  was  safe  with  her,  in  that  she 
would  dangerously  attack  even  her  mother  if  the  latter 
interfered  with  her  when  she  wandered  out  of  bed; 
on  these  occasions  she  would  scream  and  fight  any- 
one near  her  with  a  power  that  seemed  superhuman. 

Her  health  had  always  been  good.  "She  never 
was  a  day  sick  from  anything,"  her  mother  declared. 
A  strong,  powerful,  tall  young  woman,  she  was  very 
amiable  during  the  daytime.  She  had  given  no 
trouble  until  twelve  years  of  age,  when  menstruation 
commenced  ;  this  was  scanty  and  caused  headaches. 


NEUROSES  77 

Almost  every   night,   about   twenty   minutes   after 
going  to  sleep,  she  would  spring  up  and  scream ;  then, 
on  someone  coming  to  her,  she  would  attack  them 
dangerously   and   fight   until  exhausted,   afterwards 
gradually  quieting  down  and  going  to  sleep,  awaking 
in  the  morning  astonished,  and  crying  because  she 
felt  sorry,  being  quite  innocent  of  having  hurt  anyone, 
the  victim  being  usually  her  mother.     After  a  bad 
night  she  would  feel  dull  and  out  of  sorts  during  the 
day,  looking,  at  times, worried  and  overwrought ;  after  a 
more  favourable  night  she  would  appear  in  robust  and 
happy    health    again.     Sometimes    successive   nights 
were  unusually  bad.     Most  of  her  nights  had  been 
bad  for  some  months  before  she  came  into  my  care. 
Such  was  the  history  given.     Her  health  had  suffered 
severely  at  intervals  while  under  certain  treatments 
and  restraints  which  had  been  deemed  necessary  under 
the  stressful  and  extremely  difficult  circumstances.     It 
had  been  found  necessary  to  tie  her  in  bed  every  night 
for  months  on  end. 

Gradually,  over  a  period  of  a  decade,  the  compli- 
cations had  become  worse,  having  developed  from 
plain  sleep-walking.  This  itself  Sir  Francis  Cruise 
cured  by  hypnotic  "  suggestion,"  which  he  had  applied 
three  times  a  week  for  nine  months;  synchronous 
with  the  gradual  waning  of  the  somnambulism  the 
screaming  and  fighting  developed  by  degrees.  I 
imagined  from  this  that  the  hypnotic  suggestion  had 
been  of  a  direct  nature,  and  that  the  disordered  impulses 
changed  in  character  because  only  the  sleep-walking 


78  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

had  been  stopped.  The  results  of  the  indirect  treat- 
ment which  I  adopted  in  this  case  also  suggested  as 
much.  I  merely  offer  this  hypothetical  explanation: 
in  a  broadly  defensive  attitude,  in  case  any  reader 
should  at  this  stage  argue  that  treatment  by  sugges- 
tion was  apparently  of  little  use  in  this  case.  I  had 
no  evidence  as  to  how  Sir  Francis  had  applied  his 
treatment,  beyond  the  fact  that  he  employed  hypnotic 
suggestion. 

I  placed  the  patient  in  a  cottage  under  day  and 
night  nurses,  for  though  able  to  walk  about  alone  and 
enjoy  life  in  the  daytime,  she  dared  not  go  out  in  the 
dark  unaccompanied.  I  found  that  even  towards  sun- 
set she  had  slight  hallucinations  of  seeing  people  under 
trees  and  of  being  clutched  at  the  back  of  the  neck 
from  behind. 

I  decided  that  I  myself  would  sit  up  in  a  room 
adjoining  the  patient's — at  any  rate  on  the  first 
night — not  only  in  order  that  I  might  render  immedi- 
ate assistance  in  the  event  of  any  disturbance,  but 
because  the  case  was  a  somewhat  terrifying  one  for  any 
nurses,  yet  chiefly  because  I  wished  to  study  and  treat 
what  seemed  a  unique  case.  As  a  precautionary 
measure  I  fastened  the  patient's  wrists  in  a  particular 
manner  that  was  not  uncomfortable,  she  being  only  too 
amiably  willing,  knowing  how  violent  she  was  reported 
to  be.  I  decided  to  commence  treatment  before  she 
went  to  sleep,  though  I  much  wished  to  see  just  what 
would  happen  without  treatment.  She  proved  an  easy 
patient  to  treat,  and  quickly  went  into  an  ordinary 


NEUROSES  79 

sleep  from  quite  a  superficially  neuroinducted  relaxa- 
tion. I  did  not  aim  at  perfect  undisturbed  sleep,  for 
I  had  the  pardonable  desire  to  see  just  what  would 
happen  at  this  stage,  feeling  sure  that  the  patient  would 
now  be  controlled  with  comparative  ease  in  any  case. 

Thirty-five  minutes  after  leaving  her,  while  I  was 
sitting  in  the  adjoining  room,  there  was  a  hasty 
momentary  muttering,  which  subsided;  five  minutes 
afterwards  there  was  more  muttering.  I  was  begin- 
ning to  think  that  there  would  probably  be  no  more 
than  this,  as  a  result  of  the  steadying  effect  which 
even  slight  induction  toward  the  subconscious  usually 
produces,  when  I  heard  a  great  thump,  which  sounded 
as  though  a  prodigious  weight  was  being  hurled  about 
the  room,  and  a  hideous  scream  rent  the  quiet  of  the 
night,  followed  by  sounds  of  the  most  desperate  strug- 
gling. I  shot  into  the  room,  and  found  the  nurse  under 
the  clothes,  in  an  adjoining  bed,  petrified  with  fear. 
The  patient  had  in  an  instant  leaped  out  of  bed,  and 
in  one  effort  had  dragged  a  large  double  bed  across 
the  floor  of  the  room  toward  the  window,  by  means 
of  the  webbing  secured  round  her  wrists  and  fastened 
to  the  bedside.  I  caught  her  just  at  the  end  of  the 
main  struggle,  when  she  could  get  the  bed  no  further 
than  the  window,  and,  while  she  was  still  tense  and 
trying  to  do  more,  I  put  my  hand  on  her  forehead. 
The  association  between  my  touch  and  the  words 
previously  spoken  to  her  in  neuroinduction  served 
immediately  to  relax  all  muscular  and  mental  strain. 
I  then  helped  the  nurse  to  pull  back  the  bed;  the 


8o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

patient  was  then  unfastened  and  led  to  the  side  of  the 
bed,  into  which  she  rolled.  She  fell  asleep  again  in 
a  few  seconds,  after  I  had  told  her  she  need  not  worry 
about  anything,  that  all  her  thoughts  would  be  as  easy 
as  they  were  at  the  moment,  and  that  she  had  nothing 
to  fear.  She  continued  to  sleep  through  the  night 
without  any  further  disturbance. 

She  was  under  my  care  for  a  month,  and  from  the 
first  night  never  had  more  than  a  sudden  rising  up  in 
bed  to  a  sitting  posture,  lying  down  again  at  once, 
probably  on  account  of  an  auto-correction  which 
entered  her  mind,  immediately  following  whatever 
disturbing  thought  had  occurred  to  it.  The  nurse 
reported  that  she  sat  up  in  the  same  manner  on 
two  further  occasions  during  the  first  week.  She  also 
twice  called  out  "Mother"  in  the  third  week,  but  at 
once  fell  asleep  again.  During  the  whole  of  the  fourth 
week  she  was  perfectly  well  in  every  way.  She  married 
and  became  a  mother. 

Chorea 

It  is  generally  accepted  that  a  uric-acid  diathesis 
somehow  provides  a  fruitful  soil  for  chorea.  What- 
ever truth  there  may  be  in  this  theory,  I  am  bound  to 
study  chorea  in  the  light  of  an  amended  psychology, 
and  as  one  who  has  profited  by  the  teachings  of 
psychotherapy.  Take  the  case  of  a  girl,  eleven  years 
of  age,  who  was  brought  to  me  as  having  suffered  from 
chorea  for  six  years,  during  which  time  she  had  been 
ordered  various  treatments  by  medical  advisers.     She 


NEUROSES  8 1 

was  thin,  pale,  irritable  in  disposition,  and  had  hardly 
received  any  education  on  account  of  her  weakness. 
In  two  sittings  I  not  only  stopped  all  choreic  move- 
ments, but  there  followed  such  a  general  improvement 
in  health  as  made  it  almost  appear  as  though  there 
had  been  some  magical  influence  at  work.  Her 
dyspepsia  and  insomnia  cleared  up,  her  appetite 
became  normal,  and  in  a  week  or  two  she  gained 
weight  and  exhibited  a  good  colour  in  the  face. 

It  is  perfectly  obvious  that  in  this  case  the  disorder 
was  merely  functional.  Doubtless  uric  acid  had  been 
a  factor  in  its  causation;  but  might  there  not  have 
been  some  neurotic  sensitiveness  which  had  conduced 
both  to  the  rheumatism  and  the  chorea,  which  psycho- 
therapy reduced  to  normality?  We  shall  answer 
this  question  more  fully  in  a  later  chapter,  especially 
as  regards  the  uric  acid,  which  might  at  one  time  have 
been  a  factor,  and  which  had  been  eliminated  by 
previous  medicinal  and  hygienic  treatment,  leaving 
the  nervous  factor  to  continue  its  fostering  of  a  "  bad 
habit." 

We  may  now  consider  the  lessons  to  be  learned  from 
a  case  of  a  different  variety.  A  man  suffering  from 
psychasthenia  moved  all  his  limbs  jerkily  and  spas- 
modically, dropping  cups,  and  making  movements 
which  were  indistinguishable  from  ordinary  choreic 
movements;  at  all  events,  his  family  attendant  and  a 
consultant  noted  irregular,  spasmodic,  and,  as  they 
described  them,  "choreic**  movements.  Two  or  three 
treatments    which    steadied    the    subconscious    mind 

6 


82  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

entirely  cured  these  movements,  the  patient  being  able 
to  lie  comfortably  in  bed,  using  his  hands,  arms,  and 
legs  in  quite  a  normal  manner,  if  somewhat  feebly. 
Although  the  movements  had  for  months  been  strongly 
marked,  this  patient  never  suffered  from  them  again ; 
but  also  in  the  other  respects  his  case  proceeded  to 
complete  cure. 

The  most  advanced  forms  of  tremor,  including 
instances  in  which  certain  articles  cannot  be  held  in 
the  hand,  the  tremor  increasing  the  longer  the  attempt 
is  made,  are  easily  cured  by  one  or  two  treatments  of 
subconscious  induction,  provided  the  complications 
are  not  too  severe,  as  may  well  be  imagined  from  the 
study  of  cases  of  phobia  already  considered.  Cases 
are  not  uncommon  in  which  people  will  avoid  drink- 
ing at  meals  because  they  cannot  lift  a  glass  or  cup 
without  trembling  and  letting  some  spill  over.  Some 
will  not  accept  invitations  to  dine  out  on  account  of 
discomforts  of  this  nature.  It  is  interesting  to  observe 
the  astonishment  with  which  they  are  able  to  hold  a 
glass  brimful  after  one  treatment,  hardly  believing 
their  own  eyes  as  they  note  their  own  steadiness.  I 
remember  a  male  patient  of  twenty-eight  who  kept  on 
staring  at  his  hand,  expecting  the  usual  tremor  to 
occur,  almost  as  though  he  was  trying  to  make  it  shake 
after  such  a  sensational  negativing  of  his  symptoms, 
but  nevertheless  failing. 

I  require  no  further  substantiation  of  my  conten- 
tions in  this  chapter  than  the  words  of  a  great  authority 
on  chorea  and  its  treatment.     He  believes  it  '*to  be 


NEUROSES  83 

always  rheumatic,"  ahd  he  always  administers  sodium 
salicylate.  He  writes  (British  Medical  Journal, 
June  14,  191 3): 

"The  child  who  becomes  the  subject  of  chorea  is 
usually  nervous,  excitable,  and  imaginative.  She  is 
easily  frightened.  At  school,  though  by  no  means  a 
dunce,  she  lacks  concentration  of  thought  and  perseve- 
rance. Her  attention  wanders  from  the  work  to  the 
creations  of  her  active  mind.  It  is  easily  diverted  by 
all  manner  of  extraneous  and  trivial  circumstances. 

"  As  evidence  of  the  ill-balanced  and  hyper-excitable 
mental  state  is  the  frequent  occurrence  in  the  history 
of  the  same  child  of  such  functional  errors  as  night 
terrors  or  day  terrors,  somnambulism,  eneuresis, 
nervous  diarrhoea,  and  tic. 

"  The  mental  state  when  the  chorea  is  readily 
recognizable  is  usually  ill-balanced  and  the  emotions 
are  beyond  control.  It  has  been  aptly  likened  to 
April  weather,  sunshine  and  shower  alternating  in 
quick  succession.  Tears  flow  as  part  of  real  distress, 
for  which  there  is  no  adequate  reason  or  perhaps  no 
reason  at  all. 

"  A  very  astute  physician,  so  I  have  been  told,  once 
said  that  one  of  the  most  dangerous  attributes  of 
chorea  is  its  treatment.  While  it  is  active,  rest  both 
to  body  and  mind  is  essential.  All  occasion  for  excite- 
ment or  fear  should  be  carefully  avoided." 

I  cannot  but  consider  that  all  these  data  constitute 
ideal  material  for  the  psychotherapist;  and  I  do  not 
think  I  am  too  enthusiastic.  It  is  true  that  I  should 
also  find  pleasure  in  introducing  suitable  chemical 
medicaments  and  dietaries  which  might  help  to  con- 
trol the  uric  acid  factor,  such  as  any  other  rational 
therapeutist  might  agree  to :  enthusiasm  is  not  going 


84  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

to  drive  me  to  unwarrantable  extremes,  either  in  one 
direction  or  the  other ;  but  neither  do  I  intend  to  allow 
myself  to  be  blindfolded  by  empirical  usage  in  the 
study  of  any  disorder  whatsoever.  I  have  enjoyed 
too  many  years  in  general  practice  for  that.  Again, 
I  have  a  perfect  right  to  take  up  a  firm  position  with 
regard  to  any  disorder,  and  to  advance  theories  and 
recommend  practices  which  elucidate  cause  and  effect, 
if  only  because  they  will  help  in  the  exposition  of  the 
general  argument. 

Tics 

These  psychoneuroses  are  so  well  known  to  be 
amenable  to  favourable  treatment  by  psychotherapy 
that  very  little  more  need  be  written  about  them. 

The  worst  case  which  I  have  to  record  is  that  of 
a  lady  who  had  mental  troubles  impossible  to  alleviate. 
I  obtained  an  improvement  which  sufficed  to  enable 
me  to  realize  that  a  cure  was  possible  provided  that 
certain  family  difficulties  and  dissensions  could  be 
removed — which  they  could  not  be.  A  new  husband 
cannot  easily  be  found  exactly  to  suit  a  difficult  wife, 
even  when  the  health  may  make  urgent  demands. 

Difficult  cases  should  be  classed  under  the  heading 
of  psychasthenia.  Some  are  as  incurable  as  the  worst 
cases  of  stammering  and  dipsomania,  in  which 
neither  sufficient  strength  of  mind  can  be  brought 
about  by  any  training  whatsoever  to  enable  the  patient 
to  appreciate  the  idea  of  normality,  nor  emotional 
tone  enough  to  sustain  the  desire  to  get  well.     It  is  the 


NEUROSES  85 

mental  factor  which  is  the  most  important  in  neuroses, 
rendering  many  more  fit  to  be  labelled  psychoses,  as 
we  have  seen  in  cases  of  neurasthenia.  Treatment 
by  psychotherapy  would  prove  the  latter  statement 
to  be  true  enough,  even  if  nothing  else  could  be  found 
to  substantiate. 


Stammering  and  other  Defects  of  Speech 

Stammering  commonly  denotes  conflict  in  dual 
cerebration;  it  is  usually  initiated  at  an  early  age  by 
emotional  distress  and  difficulty.  There  is  first  hesita- 
tion of  thought.  Later  on  the  consciousness  of  the 
defect  in  action  introduces  another  arc  of  "negative 
circling,"  and  so  on — for  example:  (i)  Weak  nerves, 
inherited  :  (2)  emotional  difficulty ;  (3)  repeated  hesita- 
tion of  thought;  (4)  established  disability;  (5)  worry 
and  shyness;  (6)  worry  caused  by  the  prompting  of 
others ;  (7)  failure  to  reach  a  cure. 

Many  cases  exhibit  dual  thinking  to  the  extent  of 
absolute  and  repeated  falsehood ;  such  will  not  be  cured 
until  there  is  better  co-ordination  in  the  subconscious 
plane.  Exercises  in  enunciation  and  fluency,  as 
commonly  employed,  will  sometimes  cure  simple  super- 
ficial cases ;  but  if  a  fundamental  error  persists  of  the 
nature  of  a  conflict  due  to  auto-contraception  in  a  state 
of  emotional  sensitiveness,  there  is  likely  to  be  re- 
currence and  continuance  of  the  defect,  unless  the  case 
be  treated  by  psychotherapy.  I  cured  one  patient  of 
stammering  by  pointing  out,  plainly  and  kindly,  that 


86  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

both  in  his  letters  and  in  his  conversation  I  had  found 
contradictions  (falsehood). 

It  is  always  true,  throughout  the  whole  scope  of  the 
direct  and  indirect  effects  of  any  treatment,  that  if 
you  cure  one  arc  of  negative  circling,  this  will  be  of 
the  greatest  assistance  in  the  direction  of  alleviating 
others.  A  youth  who  is  suffering  from  stammering, 
and  is  trained  by  simple  exercises  in  deliberateness 
and  accuracy  of  utterance,  may  have  these  positive  arcs 
so  well  developed  that  other  defects  will  be  induced 
to  move  in  the  right  direction.  Thus  he  may  readily 
be  cured  by  teaching  of  quite  an  ordinary  kind.  But 
in  certain  long-established  cases  the  trouble  will  be 
too  deeply  rooted  for  suprainduction  to  hold  out  any 
hopes  whatever.  In  one  of  my  cases  the  patient 
seemed  likely  to  make  a  rapid  cure  until  fundamental 
timidity  and  perversity  betrayed  themselves.  Then 
the  difficulty  was  revealed.  He  was  afraid  to  get  well 
because  of  what  would  be  expected  of  him.  He  had 
got  accustomed  to  such  sympathy  on  the  part  of  his 
mother  as  enabled  him  to  enjoy  a  very  pleasant  and 
easy  life  under  his  affliction.  Neuroinduction  resulted 
in  his  becoming  ashamed  of  his  condition,  and  was 
instrumental  in  his  wishing  to  get  well  in  every  way. 
There  are  some  patients,  however,  who  will  not  under 
any  inducement  allow  themselves  to  become  cured ; 
their  conviction  cannot  be  shaken  that  they  are  very 
happy  as  they  are.  They  come  into  the  category  of 
those  who  subconsciously  do  not  want  anything  else 
but  what  they  possess,  and  are  not  going  to  assist 


NEUROSES  87 

in  altering  their  state  or  estate.  We  shall  meet  this 
class  of  case  again,  among  the  sexual  disorders.  They 
may  supraconsciously  agree  that  their  condition  is 
unfortunate,  and  they  may  express  themselves  as  duly 
sorry,  but  subconsciously  they  are  adamant,  in  which 
demeanour  they  correspond  to  a  person  who  will  not 
receive  suggestions  offered  in  induction  which  are 
offensive  or  obviously  harmful  to  him.  A  cure  would 
be  objectionable  from  their  own  particular  inner  point 
of  view.  It  is  extremely  important  that  medical  men — 
and  patients  themselves — should  realize  the  existence 
of  this  class  of  very  real  difficulty,  for  it  is  one  that  may 
be  observed  in  connection  with  several  other  kinds  of 
nervous  disability,  notably  in  many  cases  of  hysteria. 

Let  me  draw  a  clearer  distinction  between  the  supra- 
and  the  subconscious  flow  of  thought  in  many  difficult 
cases  of  stammering.  I  induct  toward  the  subcon- 
scious, and  the  patient  now  exhibits  the  power  to  speak 
at  once  and  without  hesitation.  This  I  have  never 
yet  failed  to  observe  in  any  patient  who  can  speak  at 
all.  From  this  fact  we  learn  that  there  may  be  three 
trends  of  thought  in  a  patient  under  treatment :  {a) 
That  he  can  speak  quite  normally  while  undergoing 
neuroinduction ;  {b)  that  he  does  not  want  to  speak 
otherwise  than  abnormally,  notwithstanding  {c)  that 
the  affliction  is  truly  in  certain  respects  a  great  trouble 
to  him  and  others.  In  other  words,  a  patient  may 
not  possess  sufficient  emotional  desire  to  get  well ;  there 
is  conflict,  therefore,  in  the  subconscious,  and  thq 
patient's  reasoning  may  win. 


88  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Most  stammerers  can  sing  their  words  quite  fluently, 
because  the  act  of  singing  serves  to  link  the  words 
together  for  them.     Again,  if  one  directs  the  patient 
to  speak  while  he  taps  the  hand  on  some  object  at 
each  word,  one  usually  finds  that  no  stammering  will 
take  place,  because  the  tapping  serves  to  link  the 
words.     Again,  most  stammering  patients  can  whisper 
fluently;  this  is  explained  partly  by  the  fact  that 
nearly  all  neurotics  will  feel  quite  easy  in  the  per- 
formance of  anything   that   is  less  than  the   major 
difficulty;  they  may  even  display  a  certain  pride  in 
calling   attention   to   the   contrast.      The    ability    to 
whisper  is  also  due  to  the  fact  that  another  order  of 
musculature  is  brought  into  play.     Many  sufferers  will 
cease  to  stammer  when  greatly  angered  for  any  reason, 
while  an  equal  number  will  manifest  the  very  opposite 
tendency,  showing  that  when  all  main  causative  hesita- 
tion is  set  aside  the  normal  power  enters,     It  is  equally 
interesting  to  note  that  a  patient  may  not  stammer  at 
all  when  reciting  or  reading  with  another. 

Getting  out  of  breath  usually  leads  to  an  increase 
of  stammering;  a  large  number  of  cases  display  a 
defect  in  the  rhythmical  action  of  the  respiratory 
musculature. 

Public  speaking  will  sometimes  cure  stammering, 
the  enforced  publicity,  the  directness,  the  singleness 
of  purpose  and  accuracy  required  by  the  speaker, 
all  serving  to  reduce  shyness  to  the  vanishing-point. 

Treatment  should  be  in  the  direction  of  mental  as 
well  as  physical  training ;  and  the  latter  should  involve 


NEUROSES  89 

the  subconscious  correction  of  the  offending  muscles, 
vocal,  oral,  and  respiratory,  not  forgetting  that  the 
greatest  offender  is  often  the  diaphragm.  Exercises 
in  smoothness  and  fluency  of  utterance  will,  of  course, 
assist  the  enunciation,  by  correcting  spasms  and  con- 
tractures of  muscles,  as  they  will  help  muscles  in  any 
part  of  the  body. 

Patients  should  first  be  trained  to  thinky  slowly  and  in 
the  right  order,  and  should  have  examples  given  them 
in  neuroinduction  of  single,  simple,  accurate  sequences 
of  ideas.  It  may  be  realized  how  comparatively  use- 
less is  mere  exercise  in  supraconscious  utterance  alone, 
when  it  is  appreciated  that  no  amount  of  physical 
exercise  in  utterance  can  possibly  control  the  in- 
accuracy and  hesitation  of  thought  which  is  the 
origin  of  all  bad  cases.  Only  in  the  subconscious  can 
we  deal  with  emotions  and  impulses  rapidly  and 
effectually. 

Cultivating  a  different  tone  of  voice,  as  commonly 
recommended,  is  a  very  unwise  procedure.  A  case 
once  sent  to  me  had  been  made  decidedly  worse  by 
an  unscientific  voice-trainer  who  spent  months  in 
getting  the  sufferer  to  speak  in  a  very  low  pitch ;  this 
failing,  he  tried  an  unusually  high  pitch,  with  even 
less  success.  One  must  be  equally  emphatic  against 
cultivating  a  singsong  manner  of  speaking,  for  this 
may  add  just  the  very  self-conscious  factor  which  we 
wish  to  eliminate. 

Precisely  the  same  remarks  apply  to  stuttering, 
which  is  a  spasmodic  repetition  of  g,  syllable.     It  is  tq 


go  ADVANCED  SUGGESllON 

be  noted  that  in  these  disorders  muscles  in  distant 
parts  of  the  body  may  have  been  brought  into  "  nega- 
tive cirding  " ;  some  patients  become  so  bad  that  they 
will  eventually  decline  to  converse  at  all;  kicking, 
stamping,  and  choreiform  contortions  may  thus  mani- 
fest themselves. 

Cases  of  speech  paralysis  of  the  kind  so  ably 
explained  by  Dr.  William  Russell  {Lancet,  Novem- 
ber 1 6,  191 2)  as  due  to  cerebral  angiospasm  can  be 
most  successfully  treated  by  psychotherapy.  This 
should,  perhaps,  at  this  stage  of  our  study,  go  without 
saying,  even  before  we  come  to  the  chapter  on  the 
Heart  and  Circulation,  which  will  help  to  convince  the 
reader. 

Missing  out  words,  and  repeating  the  same  sentence 
over  and  over  again,  are  characteristic  of  psychoneu- 
roses  which  readily  yield  to  subconscious  induction. 
Here  is  the  "  circling "  of  a  patient  who  was  a  public 
speaker  :  (i)  Neurotic  history ;  (2)  overwork;  (3)  miss- 
ing words;  (4)  worry;  (5)  loss  of  employment;  (6) 
financial  worry ;  (7)  dyspepsia ;  (8)  insomnia ;  (9)  bad 
temper. 

Everything  had  been  tried  in  this  case  before 
psychotherapy  made  it  possible  to  overcome  every 
difficulty ;  in  a  few  months  the  patient  became  normal, 
and  secured  more  lucrative  employment  than  ever 
before,  because  the  opportunity  was  taken  to  tone 
up  his  whole  system.  I  found  the  bad  temper  to  be 
more  difficult  to  deal  with  than  any  other  "arc"  in 
this  case. 


NEUROSES  91 

Collapse  on  the  stage  or  in  the  pulpit  is  sometimes 
due  to  "blood  rushes,"  angiospasms,  or  heart  panic. 
The  first  thing  noticed  by  some  patients  is  an  inability 
to  go  on  with  their  work,  which  causes  a  feeling  of 
alarm ;  this  serves  to  start  a  "  negative  circle  "  through 
the  tendency  to  gather  in  further  "  arcs." 


Laryngeal,  (Esophageal,  and  Pharyngeal 
Disabilities 

A  clergyman,  fifty-seven  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me, 
suffering  from  a  difficulty  in  swallowing,  which  had 
lately  become  so  much  worse  that  he  began  to  refuse 
to  eat,  and  later  also  to  drink.  Great  mental  distress 
began  to  develop.  It  was  obvious  that  he  had  a  slight 
stammer.  The  latter  defect  he  thought  little  of,  as 
it  was  a  trouble  of  long  standing.  Here  was  clearly 
a  case  of  stammering  which  had  brought  in  other 
serious  negative  "  arcs." 

The  patient  had  for  some  time  been  worried  in 
connection  with  his  parish  duties,  complaints  having 
been  made  by  parishioners  respecting  his  waning 
ability  to  conduct  the  services;  this  was  long  before 
any  difficulty  in  swallowing  had  appeared.  He  ex- 
plained that  the  muscles  of  his  throat  seemed  to  go 
into  spasms  on  his  attempting  to  swallow  anything. 
I  at  once  considered  this  to  be  just  the  sort  of  case  in 
which  a  practised  psychotherapist  could  immediately 
demonstrate  a  method  of  curing  the  chief  disorder  com- 
plained of — in  one  sitting  even.     I  asked  him  to  take  off 


92  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

his  collar,  so  that  I  could  see  his  neck  muscles.  I  then 
told  him  I  wished  actually  to  see  the  spasm  as  it 
occurred.  He  replied  that  this  could  only  be  pro- 
duced if  he  there  and  then  tried  to  swallow  something. 
I  therefore  got  him  a  glass  of  water.  He  protested 
that  the  water  would  go  all  over  the  floor — that  this 
was  just  the  effect  that  drinking  produced  at  home. 
I  told  him  I  would  get  a  large  hand-basin  and  plenty 
of  cloths  to  lay  down ;  I  further  explained  that  he  was 
not  to  bother  about  the  floor.  I  gave  him  the  glass 
of  water,  and,  standing  in  front  of  him  at  a  distance 
of  about  a  yard  and  a  half,  I  watched  very  closely  for 
the  spasm,  saying  abruptly :  "  Now,  drink  1 "  The 
water  went  quietly  down  the  throat.  He  seemed 
astonished,  and  said,  "  I  will  try  again,"  as  though 
this  time  he  would  certainly  satisfy  my  curiosity  as 
regards  the  precise  muscles  which  were  affected.  I 
told  him  that  it  was  of  no  use  to  try  again ;  the  muscles 
would  not  go  into  spasms  any  more.  Nor  did 
they;  he  was  delighted,  and  enjoyed  free  and  repeated 
draughts  of  water — drinking,  as  he  remarked,  while 
he  had  the  chance. 

The  case  affords  a  very  good  example  of  successful 
treatment  by  supraconscious  induction.  The  pro- 
cedure may  appear  very  simple  to  the  reader,  who 
might  himself  succeed  in  producing  the  same  effect 
on  every  occasion.  But  another  reader  might  fail ;  in- 
deed the  slightest  variation  of  sequence  in  treatment  by 
induction  might  even  make  matters  worse,  causing 
the  patient  to  return  home  with  his  disorder  more 


NEUROSES  03 

advanced  than  ever.  If  the  slightest  hesitation  or 
dubiety  were  betrayed,  or  any  sort  of  mystery  con- 
ceived as  to  the  psychotherapist's  particular  purpose, 
this  might  be  sufficient  to  produce  spasms  more  violent 
than  any  previously  experienced.  Just  as  the  right 
sequence  will  cure  as  by  magic,  so  may  the  wrong  one 
make  the  patient  promptly  and  alarmingly  worse.  But 
here  we  have  a  great  difference  between  induction  in 
the  supraconscious  and  in  the  subconscious  :  the  latter 
could  never  do  any  harm.  The  speech  difficulty  in 
the  particular  case  just  cited  afterwards  required  much 
longer  treatment,  even  by  subconscious  induction, 
fulfilling  the  truism  that  in  all  nervous  functional  dis- 
orders the  length  of  time  required  for  cure  will  usually 
be  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  months  or  years  which 
the  particular  trouble  has  existed — roughly  speaking, 
as  many  weeks  being  required  for  a  cure  as  the  trouble 
has  lasted  years. 

We  may  now  consider  a  different  variety  of  case : 
A  man,  forty  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  at  my 
suburban  residence  very  late  at  night,  in  the  greatest 
possible  distress,  suffering  from  oesophageal  spasm; 
he  felt  every  moment  as  though  he  would  choke.  A 
throat  specialist  had  already  employed  a  probang,  the 
patient  having  swallowed  a  fish-bone  some  hours 
previously.  Though  no  bone  was  present  after  this 
operation,  the  spasm  increased,  and  the  patient 
thought  his  end  was  at  hand.  I  sat  him  in  a  chair 
and  inducted  toward  the  subconscious,  steadying  his 
neck    muscles    the    while    by    palpation;    after    five 


94  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

minutes'  rest,  I  asked  him  how  he  felt.  He  would  iiot 
be  comforted.  "  It  is  better,  but  it  will  come  on  again, 
I  know,"  he  replied.  He  did  not  wish  to  leave  my  house. 
I  told  him  he  could,  and  must.  "What  should  I  do 
if  it  came  on  again  ?"  "  It  will  not  'come  on  again," 
I  answered.  "  But  if  it  did,  there  are  no  more  trains 
out  here,"  he  continued.  I  told  him  to  go  by  the  last 
train,  and  to  phone  me  in  the  morning  if  no  better. 
With  difficulty  I  induced  him  to  return;  I  was  not 
in  a  mood  to  treat  him  for  folie  de  doute,  giving 
up  my  time  near  midnight  when  I  knew  he  would  be 
quite  safe.  He  telephoned  in  the  morning  that  he 
had  had  a  splendid  night's  sleep,  apologizing  for 
having  been  such  a  nuisance. 

I  ought  to  give  a  few  brief  particulars  of  the  most 
extraordinary  case  I  ever  saw,  or  ever  heard  of,  in 
this  class.  A  man  thirty-two  years  of  age  was  sent  to 
me ;  he  was  pale  and  emaciated,  having  suffered  from 
spasms  in  his  neck  muscles  for  fourteen  months,  and 
he  was  gradually  getting  worse.  Several  doctors  had 
tried  many  treatments,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  At 
length  he  became  unable  to  go  to  bed ;  he  was  afraid 
to  sleep  for  fear  of  choking.  Feeding,  even  on  fluids, 
had  become  impossible.  Under  observation  the 
degree  of  spasm  was,  in  its  excess,  beyond  all  belief. 
Every  few  moments  his  larynx  leaped  up  toward  the 
chin  in  a  manner  which  amazed  myself  and  another 
medical  man  brought  to  witness  the  example,  the 
muscles  having  become  hugely  developed  by  the  pro- 
longed automatic  urgency  of  the  disorder.   The  range  of 


NEUROSES  95 

movement  seemed  beyond  all  physiological  possibility ; 
yet  the  condition  was  there,  before  our  very  eyes,  com- 
pelling us  to  account  for  it  in  some  way.  To-day  I 
should  value  a  cinematograph  film  of  the  extreme 
movements  in  this  unique  case.  As  it  was,  the  man's 
terrible  distress  prompted  the  application  of  every 
possible  expedient  for  immediate  alleviation. 

I  never  in  my  whole  experience  saw  a  case  more 
readily  relieved;  complete  correction  was  effected  in 
one  sitting.  Immediately  upon  induction  towards 
the  subconscious  the  muscles  ceased  their  abnormal 
exertions.  The  patient,  perceiving  this,  now  seemed 
exhausted;  he  appeared  about  to  collapse.  I  had  to 
allow  him  to  lie  down  for  a  time.  The  fact  that  the 
general  tension  which  the  disorder  had  produced  had 
been  so  rapidly  relieved,  and  that  the  throat  sensations 
were  becoming  so  comfortable  and  easy,  now  produced 
an  immediate  tendency  to  "sink"  from  sheer  relief. 
After  freely  taking  some  liquid  food  the  patient  there 
and  then  fell  fast  asleep,  and  had  to  be  driven  from 
the  house  in  care  of  his  friends,  in  a  somnolent  condi- 
tion, which  was  due  to  his  having  had  very  little  sleep 
for  some  weeks  past.  He  attended  for  treatment  the 
next  day,  complaining  only  of  occasional  little  spasms. 
In  a  few  weeks  he  grew  quite  strong  in  every  way.  I 
afterwards  discovered  some  epileptiform  manifesta- 
tions, which  had  existed  on  and  off  since  boyhood. 
These  also  were  cleared  away. 

As  medical  men  are  well  aware,  hiccough  may  defy 
all  ordinary  means,  and  has  even  been  known  to  be 


g6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

fatal.  However  bad,  the  disorder  yields  at  once  to 
subconscious  induction,  provided  there  is  no  organic 
disease.  I  make  this  reservation,  for  I  have  not  treated 
a  case  in  which  organic  disease  accounted  for  the 
spasm;  but  I  am  of  opinion  that,  even  then,  subcon- 
scious induction  would  be  more  likely  to  succeed  than 
to  fail. 

I  may  as  well  refer  to  an  easy  means  of  stopping 
simple  hiccough  supraconsciously^  which  I  have  found 
more  efficacious  than  anything  else  in  the  ordinary 
way.  It  derives  its  value  from  a  certain  control  which 
is  imposed  upon  the  diaphragm;  but  it  also  has  the 
effect  of  diverting  the  mind.  Tell  the  patient  to  stand 
up  erect,  and  now  to  bend  the  head  and  neck  as  far 
back  as  possible,  and  to  look  along  an  imaginary  line 
running  backwards  on  the  ceiling.  The  spasms  will 
go  as  he  curves  himself  backwards.  I  have  not  as 
yet  seen  this  fail  to  afford  an  immediate  cure,  provided 
there  have  been  no  particular  complications. 


CHAPTER  IV 

DISORDERS  OF  URINATION  AND  OF 
THE  ORGANS  OF  GENERATION 

As  regards  technique,  rationale,  and  progress  in  the 
apphcation  of  psychotherapy  to  this  class  of  disorder, 
the  cases  cited  may  well  speak  for  themselves,  after 
what  has  been  written  in  other  connections. 

A  man  suffering  from  incontinence  at  one  time,  and 
inability  to  pass  water  at  another,  was  cured  in  one 
sitting  by  induction.  Other  physicians,  adopting 
various  kinds  of  treatment  by  "  suggestion,"  have 
obtained  good  results  in  similar  cases.  This  is  one  of 
the  easiest  of  all  classes  of  functional  disorder  to  deal 
with. 

A  youth,  twenty  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  suffer- 
ing from  a  dribbling  away  of  urine,  continuing  all  day 
and  all  night,  which  followed  a  feverish  influenza  con- 
tracted some  months  previously.  In  this  case  I  should 
imagine  that  acid  urine  had  first  caused  pain,  and  that 
this  had  created  fear  or  worry,  which  served  to  per- 
petuate the  trouble  by  the  formation  of  "negative 
circling" — especially  as  his  parents  had  scolded  and 
punished  him.  The  urine  was  running  at  the  time  he 
consulted  me,  and  the  patient  had  to  stand  on  a  piece 

97  7 


98  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

of  oilcloth.  He  was  asked  to  lie  down  on  a  couch  upon 
some  waterproof  sheeting.  Ten  minutes'  rest  follow- 
ing one  minute's  induction  was  sufficient  to  stop  the 
flow  before  he  rose.  He  had  no  further  trouble. 
Every  kind  of  medicine,  and  various  other  means,  had 
previously  been  tried  in  this  case  by  his  medical 
advisers,  including  chloroform  and  the  administration 
of  large  doses  of  narcotics. 

A  boy  of  thirteen  was  sent  to  me  with  a  history  of 
nocturnal  enuresis  of  some  years'  duration;  this  had 
at  length  become  diurnal  as  well.  He  was  thin,  pale, 
and  looked  greatly  worried.  Water  was  dribbling  at 
the  time.  When  he  arrived  I  was  dressed  in  my  over- 
coat and  about  to  catch  a  train,  for  which  I  was  due  to 
leave  the  house  in  ten  minutes'  time;  I  therefore 
declined  at  first  to  treat  the  case.  But  the  appearance 
and  temperament  of  the  boy  appeared  to  me  to  be 
favourable;  I  therefore  told  the  father  I  would  treat 
his  son  (as  he  had  come  a  long  distance),  but  that  he 
must  remain  in  the  room  with  him  a  few  minutes  after 
I  had  gone,  after  which  he  could  take  him  home.  The 
boy  was  very  easily  dealt  with,  as  it  happened.  I  told 
him  to  lie  still  for  ten  minutes,  that  the  water  would 
stop,  and  that  there  would  be  no  further  trouble.  I 
left,  after  instructing  the  father  that  if  there  should  be 
any  further  dribbling  the  boy  should  attend  again.  A 
message  was  sent  to  me  next  day  to  say  that  all  had 
been  well.  Later  I  received  information  to  the  effect 
that  the  boy  was  developing  physically  at  an  astonish- 
ing rate,  daily  exhibiting  a  better  colour,  and  rapidly 


DISORDERS  OF  URINATION  99 

increasing  in  weight.  Such  instances  serve  to  indicate 
the  prompt  and  easily  obtainable  effects  of  treatment 
in  this  class  of  disorder. 

I  wish  every  case  of  nocturnal  diuresis  were  also 
diurnal,  for  the  object-lesson  of  the  correction  of  the 
diurnal  diuresis  is  of  the  greatest  help  in  the  matter 
of  inducting  towards  correction  of  the  nocturnal 
trouble ;  it  is,  indeed,  far  more  effectual  than  any  kind 
of  treatment  for  the  nocturnal  trouble.  There  are 
reasons  why  this  should  be  so,  which  need  not  detain 
us  here. 

Some  cases  of  nocturnal  enuresis  will  be  found  very 
easy  to  deal  with,  and  others  extremely  difficult.  They 
are  difficult  when  the  mentality  is  of  an  abnormal 
character,  apart  from  any  reduction  of  the  general 
health  which  might  well  be  inculpated ;  indeed,  some 
of  the  most  difficult  patients  are  physically  robust. 
When  one  is  obliged  to  make  a  patient's  mental  power 
sufficiently  vigorous  for  him  to  be  interested  in  his  cure, 
a  certain  amount  of  time  will  be  required.  Parents 
will  not  always  admit  the  mental  weakness,  having 
very  good  reasons  for  concealing  it.  In  obstinate 
cases,  however,  careful  inquiry  will  usually  contrive  to 
elicit  complications  in  the  shape  of  some  sort  of 
nervous  or  mental  deficiency.  Bad  temper  also  hin- 
ders treatment.  Petted  boys  are  far  more  difficult 
than  those  who  are  not  so  spoilt;  it  is  sometimes  far 
more  difficult  to  correct  home  habits  than  mere  func- 
tional disorders.  An  epileptic  diathesis  may  cause  a 
great  deal  of  difficulty.     But  even  with  such  predis- 


loo  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

posing  and  complicating  conditions  psychotherapy 
holds  out  by  far  the  best  hopes  of  cure. 

A  lady,  married,  thirty-five  years  of  age,  suffered 
from  occasional  inconvenient  dribblings,  as  well  as 
impulsively  sudden  desires  to  urinate.  This  made 
her  nervous  in  many  respects,  and  led  to  the  formation 
of  other  "negative  arcs"  over  a  period  of  several 
months.  Induction  corrected  the  entire  disorder  in 
two  treatments.  I  am  aware  that  such  cases  can  be 
most  effectually  treated  by  life  in  the  South  of  France, 
by  high-frequency  currents,  building  up  the  constitu- 
tion, massage,  patent  foods,  various  medicines,  and  so 
on ;  and  I  cannot  consider  such  measures  anything  but 
very  rational;  but  I  beg  permission  to  place  psycho- 
therapeutic induction  among  the  measures  deserving 
of  very  serious  consideration — at  all  events,  for  such 
cases  as  have  been  found  difficult  to  treat  by  any 
other  means. 

Masturbation. 

In  treating  masturbation,  very  little  good  will  be 
done  by  being  angry  with  the  patient.  Indeed,  this  will 
usually  make  matters  worse.  Difficult  and  disorderly 
thinking  is  present  in  all  bad  cases ;  usually  some  kind 
of  concomitant  physical  disorder  may  readily  be 
found — apart  from  phimosis.  Many  bad  cases  are  not 
troubled  with  the  latter  defect  at  all.  Tying  the  hands 
and  all  measures  that  are  harsh,  scolding,  or  of  a  puni- 
tive nature  usually  have  a  most  unfavourable  influ- 
ence; they  are  apt  to  provoke  a  still  more  cunning 


DISORDERS  OF  URINATION  loi 

determination  to  thwart  all  preventive  measures.  The 
subconscious  mind  must  be  got  at  if  real  success  is  to 
be  attained  in  the  quickest  possible  time :  it  would 
seem  superfluous  to  emphasise,  even  to  the  veriest  tyro 
in  practice,  that  in  most  sexual  disorders  psycho- 
therapy will  surpass  all  other  treatments,  so  long  as 
the  technique  is — well,  good  enough. 

Tendency  to  sexual  excess,  functional  impotency, 
and  spermatorrhea  are  equally  amenable.  Primarily 
these  conditions  result  from  local  and  general  nerve 
disorder,  in  which  some  amount  of  psychasthenia  is 
usually  present ;  introspection  and  self-irritation  do  the 
rest. 

If  masturbation  be  the  result  of  morbidly  sensitive 
moods,  it  reacts  in  turn,  forming  "negative  circling," 
which  gives  rise  to  further  moods.  Authorities  should 
therefore  be  very  careful,  on  finding  masturbation,  not 
to  blame  this  for  a  whole  train  of  psychasthenic  symp- 
toms such  as  may  exist  in  a  bad  case,  for  any  kind  of 
treatment  may  then  be  quite  unsuccessful.  Let  us 
study  the  following  bad  case  :  (i)  Nervously  sensitive ; 
(2)  morbidly  unhappy  and  lonely ;  (3)  imitating  others 
in  disorder;  (4)  masturbating;  (5)  more  lonely  and 
secretive ;  (6)  more  unhappy ;  (7)  feeling  generally  out  ■ 
of  sorts;  (8)  bad  temper;  (9)  psychasthenia;  (10) 
inclined  to  suicide.  In  treatment  (i),  (2),  (3),  (4),  (5), 
(6)»  (7)»  (8),  (9),  (io)j  arc  all  open  to  suggestions  which 
inculcate  positive — that  is,  favourable — thoughts. 

After  masturbation  has  been  practised  for  a  time  the 
generative  organs  become  unstable;  they  are  more 


I02  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ready  to  burst  forth  into  irregular  action  on  slight 
excitation  than  they  would  be  normally,  both  in  the 
daytime  and  at  night.  Emissions  in  the  psychas- 
thenic are  as  often  as  not  of  the  nature  of  obsessions ; 
the  patient  has  not  only  a  tendency  to  find  worry  in 
anything  he  can,  but  he  is  further  harassed  by  psychical 
conflict,  by  the  failure  to  stop  either  the  emissions  or 
the  masturbation,  having  learned  that  the  latter  is  the 
cause  of  the  former. 

I  should  like  at  this  stage  to  offer  my  reply  to  the 
question — as  yet  not  definitely  answered  by  anyone, 
as  far  as  I  can  find — as  to  whether  a  slight  amount  of 
masturbation  is  harmful  to  anyone  or  no.  My  firm 
opinion  is  that  the  practice  should  be  viewed  as  on  a 
par  with  morphia-taking — in  this  respect,  that  little  is 
constantly  inviting  to  more;  but  it  is  further  harmful 
under  a  law  which  I  feel  justified  in  stating,  as  being 
helpful  in  a  study  of  psychology,  that  negatives  tend 
to  beget  negatives,  once  there  is  the  least  disequili- 
brium. Normally  a  balance  obtains  between  positive 
and  negative  mental  tendencies;  any  addition  to  the 
mass  of  the  negative  tendencies  is  likely  to  diminish 
the  mass  of  positive  tendencies.  We  shall  therefore 
find  in  every  case  that  masturbation  is  an  "  arc  "  which 
tends  to  drag  in  other  "  arcs  " ;  indeed,  it  begins  to  do 
so  at  its  initiation,  all  the  more  because  of  the  sense  of 
wrong-doing  and  the  secrecy  under  which  it  is  carried 
out.  I  have  hardly  ever  seen  a  case  in  which  this  sort 
of  confession  has  not  been  made  during  analysis  :  "  I 
have  always  felt  that  it  was  wrong."     The  reason  for 


DISORDERS  OF  URINATION  103 

the  latter  conception  is,  in  my  opinion,  to  be  found  in 
the  fact  that  a  normal  sexual  act  is  only  fully  and  truly 
enjoyable  in  co-operation  with  another  of  the  opposite 
sex,  as  a  law  in  Nature's  scheme ;  and  that  should  there 
be  any  evasion  of  this  law  some  form  of  penalty  will 
surely  be  exacted.  This  will  all  the  more  be  apparent 
to  those  who  have  studied  natural  processes  exten^ 
sively  and  broadly. 

Show  me  a  masturbator  and  I  will  in  a  trice  find  in 
him  other  "arcs"  of  "negative  circling,"  however  he 
(or  she)  may  be  inclined  to  appease  the  soul  of  self  with 
exculpatory  arguments,  and  even  though  there  may  be 
declarations  that  "only  a  very  little"  is  indulged 
in.  Dr.  Gordon  Holmes  has  written,  and  others 
have  agreed,  that  "the  habit  may  be,  and  usually  is, 
persisted  in  for  a  considerable  time  without  any 
evident  effect  on  the  individual " ;  but  this  only  serves 
to  remind  me  of  an  instance  of  a  man  who  murdered  a 
lady  in  a  railway  carriage,  and  who  was  reported  as 
having  previously  been  of  perfectly  normal  mind 
because  "  people  had  seen  nothing  wrong  about  him."  I 
have  seen  many  individuals — and  so  have  others,  for 
that  matter,  including  Dr.  Holmes — in  whom  mental 
disorder  has  been  obvious  in  the  midst  of  what  has 
appeared  in  the  estimation  of  others  to  be  perfect 
normality.  Indeed,  who  knows  who  is  normal,  until 
thought  analysis  reveals  the  truth  ?  I  have  analysed 
certain  geniuses,  only  to  think  how  much  more  brilliant 
they  might  have  been  had  masturbation  not  come  into 
their  life.     Here  it  might  be  possible  to  find  a  defend- 


I04  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ing  counsel  to  argue  that  genius  might  be  partly  due 
to  masturbation  :  at  least  one  distinguished  man  has 
actually  argued  thus  with  me.  I  cannot  admit  the 
contention,  however,  for  various  and  very  important 
reasons  which  lack  of  space  will  not  allow  me  to  give, 
although  I  have  studied  cases  in  which  masturbation 
has  led  to  reclusive  habits  which  have  appeared  to 
favour  very  close  and  persistent  application  to  duties. 

I  have  carefully  traced  back  to  earliest  sensa- 
tions and  impressions  in  a  number  of  cases  of  sexual 
perversion  (including  inversion),  and  I  am  bound  to 
come  to  three  outstanding  conclusions.  The  first  is, 
that  definite  anatomical  structure  will  always  tend  to 
favour  its  own  natural  physiological  processes,  certain 
"  other  things  being  equal "  :  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
a  sexual  invert  being  unalterably  born  such,  notwith- 
standing that  his  family  history  may  favour  various 
abnormal  tendencies. 

The  second  is,  that  in  the  vast  majority  of  all  kinds 
of  sexual  perversion  instances  are  generated  not  so 
much  through  inheritance  as  by  means  of  earliest 
sensuous  elicitations.  Simple  over-sensitiveness  is  the 
fundamental  predisposing  factor  in  very  many  cases. 
If  a  child  has  not  been  normally  brought  up ;  if  it  has 
been  subject  to  laxity  on  the  part  of  parents,  servants, 
or  acquaintances,  then  any  inherited  over-sensitiveness, 
or  tendency  to  effeminacy  in  general  behaviour,  is 
likely  to  encounter  early  opportunity  sufficient  to 
establish  an  abnormal  sexual  life.  An  effeminate- 
minded  boy,  entirely  unacquainted  sexually,  will  be- 


DISORDERS  OF  URINATION  105 

come  sexually  masculine  provided  his  first  sexual 
sensations  and  emotions  (let  these  be  ever  so  little  to 
be  enough,  or  ever  so  much)  are  aroused  by  sufficient 
communion  with  females. 

The  third  is,  that  when  sexual  perversions  are 
definitely  established  they  can  be  trained  away,  or 
neutralised,  by  neuroinduction,  given  an  environment 
that  is  sufficiently  favourable,  just  as  kleptomania  can 
be  cured :  cases  found  incurable  are  such  as  are 
mentally  and  emotionally  unalterable. 

Hermaphrodites  will  lean  towards  that  sex  which 
first  arouses  sexual  emotion  in  childhood. 

Sexual  perversions  —  according  to  degree  —  are 
amongst  the  most  powerful  of  all  arcs  for  dragging 
in  other  negative  arcs  in  circling :  this  explains  why 
general  physical  and  mental  disorder  is  so  very 
common  in  inverts — invariably  including  falsehood. 

Full  inversion  is  determined  by  general-emotional 
contact  rather  than  by  local ;  effects  of  the  latter  alone 
are  comparatively  easily  corrected,  either  by  auto-  or 
hetero-suggestion. 


CHAPTER  V 
PSYCHOSES 

It  must  not  be  imagined  for  a  moment  that  I  should 
consider  it  an  easy  matter  to  deal  with  the  majority  of 
persons  of  unsound  mind  by  my  methods,  particularly 
those  in  hopelessly  advanced  stages;  a  more  perfect 
form  of  open-air  treatment  than  is  commonly  known 
could  not  in  a  few  weeks  empty  our  consumption  sana- 
toria. All  medical  men  would  allow  that  the  best  treat- 
ment should  be  applied  in  both  the  conditions  referred 
to  at  as  early  a  stage  as  possible. 

We  may  well  believe  that  the  number  of  people 
certified  as  insane  and  requiring  asylum  care  might  be 
greatly  reduced  if  my  views  as  expressed  in  these  pages 
be  correct.  In  the  past  very  little  has  been  done  for 
people  who  have  developed  early  signs  of  mental  dis- 
order, beyond  watching  and  waiting — beyond  recom- 
mending change  of  environment,  and  possibly  of  em- 
ployment, which,  of  course,  will  often  do  a  good  deal 
indirectly  towards  the  improvement  of  difficult  cases. 
No  direct  means  have  been  adopted,  no  system  of  cor- 
recting particular  tendencies  of  thought  or  inclinations, 
no  scheme  of  training  has  been  designed  to  neutralise 
or  negative  abnormalities  in  the  insane.  The  careful 
classification   of  cases,   and   herding   these  together 

100 


PSYCHOSES  107 

humanely,  have  been  the  main  consideration,  while  the 
best  medicinal  and  hygienic  means  that  science  could 
suggest  have  undoubtedly  been  employed.  Insanity 
plainly  spells  disorder  of  thought;  but  there  is  no 
system  in  vogue  in  our  asylums  dealing  specially  with 
such  disorder,  or  likely  to  help  individuals  to  recover 
order. 

Not  that  I  could  possfbly  attempt  to  run  down 
asylum  treatment ;  indeed,  I  am  on  the  whole  inclined 
to  praise  it  greatly.  I  have  been  able  to  offer  special 
reasons  why  asylums  can  hardly  be  improved  upon  as 
institutions  for  the  care  of  the  majority  of  people  of 
unsound  mind.  My  plea  is  still  more  on  behalf  of 
those  who  are  threatened  with  asylum  life.  At  the  same 
time,  I  must  express  my  opinion  that  many  who  are 
now  in  asylums  would  be  better  treated  by  the  appli- 
cation of  principles  such  as  are  recommended  in  these 
pages  :  they  would  recover  sooner  and  would  not  be  so 
likely  to  relapse  into  mental  disorder  after  recovery. 

I  shall  be  candid  enough  to  admit  that  I  have  known 
cases  of  insanity  in  which  suggestion  has  failed  to 
effect  a  cure  by  itself;  but  when  the  discipline  of 
asylum  life  has  been  added  the  patients  have  been 
cured.  This  admission,  I  trust,  will  help  to  indicate 
the  sincerity  of  my  criticisms  and  recommendations. 
In  such  cases  some  compulsion  has  been  requisite,  plain 
induction  not  having  been  sufficient.  I  have  been  told 
by  patients  that  their  stay  in  an  asylum  had  undoubt- 
edly put  a  stop  to  the  wildness  of  their  career,  and  that 
the  (^uiet  life  enforced  had  enabled  them  to  recall  th? 


io8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

teachings  which  had  been  given  them  before  they 
entered.  They  have  frankly  confessed  that  asylum 
life  has  played  a  very  effectual  part  in  their  salvation. 

It  must  be  clear  to  all  on  reading  the  pages  of  this 
book  that  those  who  suffer  from  early  symptoms  of 
mental  derangement  should  be  treated  by  a  method 
which  analyses  and  synthesises,  whether  the  patient 
is  to  be  treated  in  cottage,  palace,  private  home,  or 
asylum.  It  follows,  also,  that  this  method  should  con- 
stitute the  very  warp  and  woof  of  treatment  at  any 
stage  of  the  disorder.  We  want  more  men  with  the 
broad  spirit  and  understanding  displayed,  for  exam- 
ple, by  Dr.  Bedford  Pierce,  who  knows  what  is 
wanted,  and  who  leaves  no  stone  unturned  to  get 
it  so  far  as  his  position  will  allow.  He  writes :  "  I 
fear  that  the  amount  of  research  work  undertaken  bears 
no  relation  to  the  excellence  of  the  accommodation  pro- 
vided for  our  patients."  There  is  a  plain  candid  truth 
for  the  consideration  of  his  confreres. 

Very  little  need  be  added  as  to  the  value  of  subcon- 
scious induction  in  insanity,  after  so  much  has  been 
said  under  the  heading  of  Psychasthenia,  and  in  other 
chapters,  excepting  that  there  could  not  be  a  greater 
mistake  than  to  suppose  that  insanity  is  not  amenable 
to  treatment  by  psychotherapy — a  common  supposi- 
tion, and  one  even  held  by  some  psychiatrists  of  stand- 
ing. That  the  mentally  afflicted  are  amenable  to 
subconscious  induction,  so  long  as  any  potentiality 
of  association  remains  in  the  patient  upon  commencing 
treatment,  is  the  teaching  of  these  pages.    Provided  the 


PSYCHOSES  109 

induction  be  of  the  right  kind,  it  will  prove  an  instru- 
ment second  to  none,  and  I  shall  be  greatly  mistaken 
if  the  method  does  not  soon  become  the  sine  qud  non 
of  treatment,  to  be  employed  by  all  psychiatrists,  for 
such  patients  as  are  not  too  obstinate  and  too  far 
advanced  in  disorder,  and  in  whom  no  organic  obstacle 
exists  which  would  make  improved  functioning  im- 
possible. 

The  success  with  which  certain  cases  of  dementia 
praecox  and  melancholia  can  be  treated  by  subcon- 
scious induction  causes  me  to  reflect  how  important  it 
is  that  cases  of  these  disorders  should  be  diagnosed 
and  treated  by  psychotherapy  at  an  early  stage.  All 
cases  of  early  mental  disorder  call  for  easy  and  rapid 
analysis,  which  means  a  really  accurate  diagnosis. 
I  recall  the  case  of  a  man  who  was  obviously  dying, 
in  a  nursing  home,  from  exhaustion,  in  advanced 
melancholia,  having  been  sent  there  by  a  specialist  of 
considerable  repute.  On  his  relatives  becoming 
alarmed  by  the  report  that  he  was  gradually  approach- 
ing his  end,  a  general  consent  was  given  to  my  being 
called  in.  He  was  then,  of  course,  bed-ridden.  A  few 
weeks  later  he  was  walking  about  comparatively  well, 
thanks  to  treatment  by  suggestion ;  and  he  would  have 
become  absolutely  normal  had  he  been  a  little  younger. 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  declaring  that  such  a  man  ought 
to  have  been  treated  by  an  efficient  psychotherapy 
some  ten  years  previously,  as  soon  as  the  early  signs  of 
the  disorder  had  become  sufficiently  manifest  to 
threaten  development  into  anything  more  serious. 


110  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Cases  of  paranoiawhichhavebeen  successfully  treated 
also  serve  to  indicate  the  great  advisability  of  dealing 
with  such  disorders  by  suitable  induction  years  before 
the  more  difficult  features  permanently  develop.  I  have 
made  analysis  of  a  sufficient  number  of  cases  to  show 
that  in  a  large  percentage  of  them  very  early  strains  and 
shocks  have  made  a  deep  impression,  from  which 
vicious  "arcs"  have  gradually  developed.  I  have 
attended  a  number  of  mild  cases — in  members  of 
families  which  were  well  known  to  be  extremely  prone 
to  derangements  of  a  grave  type,  which  had  proved 
incurable — and  I  have  checked  the  progress  of  such 
cases.  The  firm  feeling,  that  these  early  cases  were 
bound  to  go  the  way  of  the  rest  had  existed  in  the 
minds  of  relatives  and  physicians  alike;  but  the 
patients  are  now  living  to  prove  that  subconscious 
induction  served  to  check  any  advance  of  the  disorder. 
The  alienist  critic  might  choose  to  argue  impatiently 
that  such  cases  count  for  nothing.  But  I  have  been 
fairly  satisfied  in  my  own  mind  that  most  of  these 
patients  would  soon  have  followed  their  relatives.  I 
hope  that  my  professional  confreres  will  not  take 
umbrage  at  these  firm  and  deliberate  contentions,  for 
they  may  live  to  see  many  proofs  of  them  ere  long. 

I  tnay  give  just  one  example  out  of  many.  A 
specialist  in  mental  disorders  brought  a  patient  to  see 
me  on  the  advice  of  another  specialist,  the  case  being  a 
troublesome  and  difficult  one.  The  opinion  of  two 
experts  had  been  given  me  that  the  patient  would  not 
recover,  and  attempts  were  made  to  persuade  me  that 


PSYCHOSES  111 

it  would  be  useless  to  try  psychotherapy.  In  my  own 
mind,  however,  I  was  confident  that  it  would  prove 
successful.  The  patient  is  now  an  officer  of  high  rank 
in  the  British  Army,  having  received  rapid  promotion 
since  his  complete  recovery. 

Whenever  suicide  is  spoken  of,  contemplated,  or 
attempted,  the  disorder  being  of  purely  functional 
origin,  I  always  conclude  that  the  patient  feels 
cornered  in  some  way,  and  for  some  particular  reason, 
or  that  he  fears  that  he  may  be  cornered,  and  that  if 
a  way  out  can  be  found  for  him  the  desperate  idea 
will  then  disappear.  This  may  seem  a  commonplace 
observation;  but  I  distinctly  recommend  common- 
places as  factors  of  the  very  first  importance  through- 
out this  book.  I  have  found  them  of  value  in  treating 
patients  of  standing,  of  great  intellect,  and  even  of 
scientific  acumen  and  training.  I  have  cured  very 
distinguished  people  by  means  of  commonplaces  when 
I  have  known  that  I  could  not  pretend  to  possess  a 
fraction  of  their  particular  intellectual  equipment  when 
they  were  well.  It  has  been  my  experience  that  if  a 
way  of  getting  over  a  difficulty  can  be  reasoned  out,  so 
that  conflict  in  the  subconscious  mind  of  a  patient  can 
be  appreciably  reduced,  no  suicide  will  follow.  I  say 
reasoned  advisedly.  Therefore  analysis  should  first 
be  directed  towards  finding  out,  reliably,  what  is  in 
the  mind;  then  the  best  ways  out  of  tight  corners 
should  be  discussed,  in  a  tone  of  strong  conviction  and 
adopting  a  mood  of  common-sense  composure.  Suf- 
ferers often  conceal  difficulties ;  they  may  become  most 


112  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

subtle  in  their  very  real  determination  to  do  so,  setting 
the  psychotherapist  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems 
conceivable. 

The  person  who  carelessly  refers  to  committing 
suicide  rarely  kills  himself,  unless  ridicule  should  seem 
to  challenge  him  too  fcir,  or  provoke  too  great  annoy- 
ance; then  a  fit  of  temper,  or  spite,  may  prompt 
him  to  carry  out  his  threat,  in  order  to  get  the  best — or 
worst — of  the  argument. 

Many  speak  of  suicide  with  a  view  to  eliciting 
sympathy,  or  fear,  from  others ;  often  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  something,  it  may  be  for  purely  selfish 
motives  or  on  account  of  real  poverty.  Ideas  of  being 
persecuted,  and  of  being  asked  or  told  to  commit 
suicide  are,  of  course,  common;  sometimes  extreme 
jealousy  will  provide  a  motive.  Very  great  differ- 
ences may  be  observed  in  the  manner  of  either  referring 
to  or  threatening  suicide.  Careful  study  of  the 
patient's  remarks  and  answers  will  often  reveal  second- 
ary currents  of  thought ;  moods  may  be  detected,  per- 
haps in  the  eyes,  the  facial  expressions,  or  the  move- 
ments of  the  body,  indicating  profound  trains  of 
thought  in  those  who  apparently  are  speaking  care- 
lessly. In  those  who  really  mean  what  they  say  there 
may  also  be  discerned  physical  signs  of  secondary 
trains  of  thought  designed  to  put  any  inquirer  "  off  the 
scent." 

I  do  not  hesitate  to  admit  that  such  patients  are  very 
difficult  to  deal  with;  but  induction  toward  the  sub- 
conscious helps  to  clear  up  mental  conflicts  and  to 


PSYCHOSES  113 

reveal  genuine  or  supposed  troubles  as  no  other 
treatment  can. 

S6metimes  a  patient  will  be  angry  chiefly  with  him- 
self, thinking  he  is  far  better  away  from  others — even 
from  himself — having  grown  tired  of  conflicts.  There 
are  others  who  dislike  forcing  their  troubles  upon  any- 
one. An  instance  is  recalled  of  a  man  who  thought  he 
gave  everybody  he  met  a  disease.  There  are  many 
others  who  develop  some  habit  or  failing  which  they 
cannot  master,  becoming  despondent  in  estimating 
their  prospects  for  the  future. 

I  do  not  advise  anyone  to  do  as  one  husband  did, 
to  my  knowledge :  he  placed  a  weapon  in  his  wife's 
hands,  after  she  had  threatened  to  commit  suicide, 
saying,  "  Do  it,  then ! "  He  explained  afterwards 
that  he  knew  she  would  not.  It  was  not  want  of  pluck 
on  her  part;  the  idea  crossed  her  mind  that  he 
really  would  be  glad  to  be  free  to  marry  another 
woman. 

This,  as  analysis  indicated,  caused  her  to  wish  to 
thwart  him.  But  she  nearly  did  pull  the  trigger  when  he 
followed  up  by  calling  her  a  coward.  However,  she 
refrained  after  instantly  divining  that  he  was  angry 
principally  because  he  could  not  easily  get  his  own 
way.  Under  stress  of  occasion  thoughts  may  change 
very  rapidly,  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  moment 
or  to  any  new  factor  entering  into  the  argument.  Thus 
a  patient  may  begin  a  dispute  by  threatening,  having 
no  definite  intention;  then  she  may  pass  rapidly  to 
absolute  intention;    finally,   after  she  has  used  the 

8 


114  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

weapon,  she  may  immediately  display  profound 
regret. 

Vanity,  of  course,  is  at  the  bottom  of  many  incidents. 
A  girl  of  twenty-two  described  to  her  sister  how  she 
would  spite  her  parents,  and  make  them  sorry  for  the 
way  they  had  treated  her,  by  "  walking  into  the  sea," 
until  psychotherapy  caused  her  to  think  calmly  of  such 
a  procedure,  as  not  only  being  a  very  unwise  one  to 
adopt,  but  very  wickedly  conceived.  In  analysis  I 
sought  the  reason  why  this  particular  method  was 
selected,  and  found  that  she  had  not  forgotten  to  think 
of  the  sensation  whi,ch  her  suicide  would  make  among 
her  friends  when  they  read  the  account  in  the  papers ; 
how  pathetic  it  would  seem  to  them  for  a  lightly  clad 
body  to  be  found  "floating  with  beautiful  hair  all 
loose."  I  further  elicited  that  much  study  of  her 
appearance  had  passed  on  to  a  consideration  in  her 
melancholic  moments  as  to  how  she  would  look  when 
actually  dead.  All  this  had  been  brought  about  by  a 
disappointment  in  a  love  affair. 

A  young  University  graduate  in  honours  had  made 
an  attempt  to  cut  his  throat,  after  being  received  in  a 
nursing  home  for  neurasthenia.  Particulars  included 
the  information  that  in  his  efforts  he  had  seized  a  razor 
and  had  struggled  on  the  floor  with  a  nurse.  Two 
male  nurses  were  placed  in  attendance  upon  him  in 
the  home.  This  seemed  to  have  greatly  aggravated 
his  mental  condition.  On  his  being  sent  to  me,  I  found 
him  taciturn,  evasive,  morose,  contemptuous,  and 
obstinate.     I  had  no  fear  that  he  would  do  himself  any 


PSYCHOSES  115 

injury  after  the  first  treatment,  which  was  only 
designed  to  impress  upon  him  the  fact  that  I  should 
help  him  to  fight  a  way  out  of  his  troubles.  Careful 
induction  further  caused  him  to  feel  that  he  ought  also 
to  help  me.  He  now  felt  easier,  and  quietly  told  me 
that  it  had  seemed  impossible  that  anyone  could  help 
him.  I  found  unmistakable  indications  of  an  obstin- 
ate melancholia,  and  that  he  was  on  the  verge  of  refus- 
ing to  allow  me  to  help  him  further,  which  induced  me 
to  search  for  some  "skeleton."  It  took  me  a  week  to 
wear  down  his  decision  to  thwart  me  if  he  could,  and 
to  "go  out"  by  some  means  before  the  "skeleton" 
could  be  revealed.  At  length  the  prior  idea  that  I 
might  possibly  help  him  mastered  the  sustained  resolu- 
tion to  resist  and  to  practise  concealment.  Another 
week  was  occupied  in  dealing  with  an  evident  conflict, 
made  up  of  efforts  to  find  reasons  for  thwarting  me 
and  means  of  ending  his  life,  on  the  one  hand,  and  of 
strong  incentives  to  accept  my  points  of  view  on  the 
other  hand.  Treatment  was  all  the  time  directed  to- 
wards enabling  the  latter  to  win,  while  finding  less  and 
less  occasion  for  the  former  to  keep  its  hold  upon  him. 
Finally,  he  gradually  but  fully  disclosed  the  "  skele- 
ton," which  when  looked  at  in  full  light  of  day  caused 
me  to  express  great  surprise  that  such  a  thing  should 
ever  have  caused  any  particular  worry.  From  this 
moment  he  never  looked  back  into  the  darkness  again. 
He  not  only  got  well,  but  in  a  few  weeks  felt  better 
than  he  could  ever  remember,  showing  that  he  had 
been  a  victim  of  "  nerves  "  practically  all  his  life,  and 


ii6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

that  analysis  and  treatment  had  gone  to  the  very  root 
of  his  disorder. 

Threats  of  suicide  may  mean  anything;  they  may 
be  the  vulgarest  "bluff"  designed  to  call  attention  to 
a  grievance  in  a  court  of  law,  by  a  person  afflicted  by 
a  hankering  for  public  sympathy ;  while  instances  are 
common  in  which  the  patient  quickly  blurts  out  the  hint, 
in  a  momentary  wrestling  of  dual  conception,  feeling  on 
the  one  hand  impelled  to  carry  out  his  threat,  and  on 
the  other  that  it  ought  not  really  to  be  carried  out. 
Undoubtedly  we  find  the  most  firmly  determined  cases 
among  those  who  never  display  any  sign  or  utter  any 
word  of  foreboding. 

Patients  who  take  pains  to  conceal  their  intention 
may  display  the  utmost  cunning  from  the  outset ;  they 
will  sometimes  pride  themselves  on  the  thought  of 
being  far  too  clever  for  anyone  to  detect  or  thwart.  In 
one  case  which  was  successfully  analysed  and  treated 
the  patient  wanted  to  die,  but  she  did  not  want  any 
odious  aspersion,  arising  from  the  fact  of  her  suicide,  to 
be  cast  upon  her  after  death.  She  was  pretty,  and  knew 
it.  She  was  a  victim  whose  mind  was  torn  by  con- 
flict, and  by  the  stress  of  epileptic  storms  and  exacerba- 
tions. She  was  subconsciously  intellectual.  She 
studied  the  matter  carefully  and  exposed  her  bare 
body  from  the  pelvis  upwards  before  an  open  bedroom 
window  "  for  some  hours,"  in  order  to  get  a  fatal  chill. 
I  believe  her  account  of  the  exposure  to  have  been 
absolutely  true,  from  the  carefulness  of  the  analysis; 
though  she  seemed  hazy  in  her  account  as  to  the  exact 


PSYCHOSES  ti; 

length  of  time  she  was  exposed,  I  am  quite  satisfied 
as  to  what  she  intended.  Indeed,  the  time  may  have 
been  even  longer  than  she  admitted,  for  when  asked 
whether  it  was  for  three  hours  she  carelessly  replied : 
"Two  or  three."  To  her  own  amazement  nothing  hap- 
pened, excepting  very  great  discomfort.  She  was  pale, 
thin,  badly  nourished,  and  suffered  from  dyspepsia  and 
insomnia,  being,  of  course,  deeply  worried  at  the 
time.  Before  coming  into  my  hands  the  same  patient 
had  opened  the  window  of  a  nursing  home  many  times 
with  a  view  to  casting  herself  out,  but  had  been  checked 
by  revolting  ideas  as  to  the  nature  of  the  injuries  she 
would  sustain,  and  the  ghastly  appearance  which  her 
body  would  present,  as  well  as  by  the  state  of  distress 
which  the  circumstance  would  produce  in  her  parents. 

Many  sufferers  have  a  strong  desire  to  contract  all 
sorts  of  dangerous  illnesses,  not  caring  in  the  least 
whether  the  issue  might  be  fatal  or  no.  Some  will 
work  themselves  up  into  ecstasies  over  the  beautiful 
clean  water,  "  sweet  and  inviting,"  and  will  visit  a  river 
or  pond  with  a  view  to  jumping  in.  Vanity  very 
often  corrects  such  impulses.  Any  sort  of  tentative 
behaviour  may,  as  often  as  not,  lead  ultimately  to  the 
act  being  finally  committed,  unless  some  factor  should 
enter  to  modify  developments. 

The  case  of  a  man  who  had  thought  for  months  of 
placing  himself  on  the  railway  line  is  interesting, 
because,  by  analysis,  no  reason  could  be  found  for  this 
obsession.  Supraconsciously  he  was  greatly  distressed 
that  the  idea  should  visit  him — unusually  so — and  he 


n8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

could  not  in  the  least  account  for  it.  Here  was  a 
decidedly  uncommon  case,  in  which  I  felt  obliged  for 
the  nonce  to  acknowledge  the  failure  of  analysis. 
Careful  inquiry  eliminated  every  likely  factor,  the 
patient  being  abstemious  to  the  point  of  drinking 
"only  tea";  it  seemed  as  if  I  was  fated  to  be  non- 
plussed and  defeated.  Tea?  I  asked  myself,  as  my 
recollection  ran  back  to  another  case  of  interest  which 
suggested  a  possibility.  I  made  inquiry,  and  found 
that  his  wife  had  rewarded  his  careful  virtues  by 
making  a  great  fuss  over  his  tea.  Because  he  never  took 
anything  "  in  the  way  of  strong  stimulant,"  every  day 
she  sent  to  his  office  tea  of  her  own  making  in  thermos 
flasks.  He  took  this  three  times  a  day,  and  had  more 
on  returning  home.  He  was  stout,  and  usually  rather 
thirsty,  through  frequent  visits  to  hot  engine-rooms. 
On  stopping  this  large  allowance,  only  permitting 
himself  four  small  cups  a  day,  according  to  the  direc- 
tions I  now  gave  him,  and  taking  other  even  less 
harmful  beverages  in  the  intervals,  such  as  a  few  drops 
of  lemon- juice  to  the  half-pint  of  water,  or  thin  barley- 
water,  he  got  perfectly  well,  and  has  remained  so  until 
now  (three  years  later).  Thus  the  case  was  hardly 
one  for  psychotherapy  :  it  was  a  plain  one  of  tea- 
poisoning. 

I  have  had  cases  of  nervous  disorder  which  have 
been  quite  incurable,  into  which  ideas  of  suicide  have 
entered;  subconscious  induction  has  removed  the 
latter  tendency  permanently,  while  the  organic 
obstruction  has  remained  uninfluenced. 


t^SYCHOSES  110 

That  induction  toward  the  subconscious  is  the 
treatment  par  excellence  for  the  high  blood-pressure 
so  often  found  amongst  the  mentally  distressed  would 
seem  to  go  without  saying  after  a  perusal  of  the  fore- 
going chapters,  even  before  we  come  to  that  on  the 
Heart  and  Circulatory  Disorders.  But  meanwhile  let 
me  cite  the  words  of  Haviland  Hall  to  support  my  con- 
tention in  this  connection.  They  were  uttered  before 
the  members  of  the  Hunterian  Society.  He  said  : 
"Great  stress  is  laid  on  the  toxaemia  of  gastro- 
intestinal origin  due  to  overeating,  as  a  very  important 
cause  of  increased  blood-pressure."  Now,  if  a  later 
chapter  on  gastro-intestinal  disorders  be  carefully 
read,  it  will  be  quite  clear  that  psychotherapy  should 
be  resorted  to  for  one  reason  at  least,  if  not  for  others. 
He  also  averred  :  "  Finally,  mental  strain  and  worry, 
especially  if  combined  with  deficient  exercise  and  too 
rich  living,  are  stated  to  be  potent  causes  of  high 
blood-pressure."  My  plea  should  need  no  further 
substantiation  after  these  words. 

Dr.  Langdon  Brown  entered  into  the  discussion  on 
the  same  occasion,  and  called  attention  to  the  difficulty 
of  getting  a  correct  record  of  the  blood-pressure  in 
nervous  subjects,  in  whom  the  mere  attempt  to  make 
the  observation  raised  it  temporarily.  Now,  all 
authorities  are  agreed  that  rest  must  assume  a  promin- 
ent position  in  the  treatment  of  this  condition  of  the 
circulation.  And  what  imaginable  rest  could  there  be, 
I  ask,  which  could  equal  that  of  fully  inducted  mus- 
cular and  mental  relaxation — a  rest  which  need  not 


120  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

be  taken  in  bed,  a  rest  which  will  favourably  affect  the 
whole  functioning,  mental  and  physical  ? 

Further,  Dr.  O.  K.  Williamson  agreed  with  Dr.  Hall 
and  Dr.  Langdon  Brown  in  the  following  words, 
as  reported  : 

"It  is  undesirable  to  make  a  routine  practice  of 
reducing  the  pressure;  still,  it  seems  advisable  to 
try,  cautiously,  the  effect  of  reducing  the  pressure, 
inasmuch  as  the  continuance  of  the  condition  is,  other 
things  being  equal,  in  itself  harmful.  Great  caution 
is,  however,  necessary  in  such  cases,  and  the  effect  of 
such  treatment  on  the  patient's  general  health  and 
symptoms  should  be  noted,  as  many  of  these  patients 
will  not  bear  reduction  of  their  blood-pressure.  Treat- 
ment is  also  called  for  in  cases  in  which  high  blood- 
pressure  is  associated  with  marked  local  spasm  of 
arteries,  and  consequent  interference  with  function  in 
areas  which  these  supply ;  it  then  becomes,  especially 
in  the  case  of  the  heart  or  brain,  an  urgent  matter." 

But  there  can  be  no  risk,  no  need  of  extreme  caution, 
in  the  methods  I  am  advocating,  or,  at  all  events,  com- 
paratively none.  There  can  be  absolutely  no  risk, 
provided  the  operator  has  as  much  sense  as  the  average 
medical  man — enough  to  avoid  exciting  the  patient. 
I  admit  that  complicating  disease,  and  forms  of  worry 
v/hich  the  patient  cannot  get  rid  of,  may  be  dangerous 
factors — but  so  they  will  be  under  any  treatment. 


PSYCHOSES  121 

Dementia  Precox. 

1  have  found  in  many  cases  diagnosed  by  alienists 
as  dementia  praecox  that  analysis  is  not  at  all  difficult ; 
one  may  find  such  a  history  as  the  following,  picked 
from  my  case-notes  as  an  example  : 

"As  a  child  every  time  I  broke  my  promise  to  mother 
that  I  would  not  pick  my  nose  I  felt  troubled  and 
drawn  towards  doing  it  again.  Later  on  I  read  some 
pages  of  a  book  about  a  prince  making  a  sentry  bite 
off  the  head  of  a  mouse,  and  this  kept  coming  into  my 
thoughts;  and  the  idea  grew  into  that  of  biting  all 
sorts  of  nasty  things.  I  used  to  hate  to  see  pictures  of 
the  nude,  but  I  seemed  drawn  to  them." 

It  is  better  to  get  such  details  written  down  by  the 
patient;  much  more  correct  analysis  will  be  made  by 
this  means  than  by  vivd  voce,  for  patients  are  often 
more  capable  of  ready  and  lucid  analysis  when  think- 
ing the  matter  out  for  the  purpose  of  writing  it  down. 
In  treatment  all  old  ideas  that  have  had  the  effect  of 
dissociation  should  be  swept  clean  out  of  the  way — by 
observations  designed  to  evoke  healthy  emotional 
activity  in  the  subconscious  realm — by  words  such 
as  these :  "  You  will  really  wish  to  leave  behind — 
and  will  find  you  are  leaving  behind — such  useless 
notions.  You  ought  no  more  to  have  allowed  them  to 
stick  to  you  than  you  would  allow  an  irritating  parasite 
to  do  so.  You  will  now  naturally  think  of  things  that 
are  beautiful,  easy,  and  orderly,  instead  of  wasting 
time  over  what  is  horrid." 


i22  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

I  need  urge  no  more  in  this  chapter  beyond  quoting 
from  Dr.  L.  A.  Weatherly's  letter  in  the  Lancet  of 
September  8,  1917  : 

"  One  great  fact  which  has  never  been  cleared  up  is 
the  standing  reproach  that  with  our  palatial  institu- 
tions for  the  insane,  and  with  our  great  increase  in 
pathological  research,  the  recovery  rate  of  insanity  is 
no  higher  to-day  in  these  institutions  than  it  was  in  the 
decade  of  1865  to  1875." 

Dr.  Weatherly  considers  that  this  is  due,  amongst 
other  things,  to  "  the  want  of  individual  study  of  the 
character,  temperament,  and  causes  which  have  led  to 
the  mental  breakdown." 


CHAPTER  VI 

RESTORING   FUNCTION   IN   SPECIAL 
SENSES 

Entire  loss  of  smell,  taste,  hearing,  power  of  speech, 
and  sight  is  not  infrequently  corrected  to  the  normal 
by  accident,  by  some  very  simple  chance  occurrence. 
Such  cases  as  the  following  have  been  recorded  : 

A  boy  who  was  dumb  for  ten  years  found  he  could 
speak  after  experiencing  great  excitement  at  a  cricket 
match.  He  had  incontinently  tried  to  shout,  and 
then  "  he  thought  he  heard  his  own  voice." 

A  young  man  recovered  his  lost  hearing  and  power 
of  speech  on  hearing  of  the  death  of  his  sister. 

A  man  lost  his  speech  in  one  epileptic  fit  and 
recovered  it  in  another  six  weeks  afterwards. 

A  man  who  had  been  dumb  for  seven  years  recovered 
his  speech  on  being  startled  by  the  explosion  of  a 
syphon. 

A  girl  recovered  her  long-lost  sight  at  a  funeral,  while 
weeping  over  the  grave. 

The  war  has  been  responsible  for  revealing  scores 
of  such  cases  among  soldiers. 

The  simple  explanation  is  this :  Something  has 
caused  neurone  dissociation;  accident,  sudden  emo- 

123 


124  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

tion,  or  extreme  tension,  has  had  the  effect  of  rectifying 
this.  A  visit  to  Lourdes,  a  sermon,  a  "laying  on  of 
hands,"  may  possibly  have  the  desired  effect  in  some 
cases ;  even  the  strange  performances  of  a  quack  may 
work  wonders.  They  all  point  the  moral  to  the 
scientist,  that  if  such  things  can  come  to  pass  in  the 
"green  tree,"  how  much  more  may  be  done  in  the 
"dry"! 

I  have  very  little  more  to  write  about  these  disorders 
beyond  pointing  out,  firstly,  that  they  are  amongst 
the  easiest  in  psychotherapy,  one  sitting  only  being 
required  in  quite  a  large  proportion  of  cases,  once 
the  correct  diagnosis  has  been  made.  Analysis  will 
help  immensely  in  the  more  difficult  cases. 

In  colour-blindness  all  authorities  should  grasp  the 
truism  that  in  many  cases  the  disability  has  resulted 
either  from  actual  ignorance  regarding  colour  or 
through  strain  and  shock  producing  dissociation. 
Men  sometimes  know  surprisingly  little  about  colour. 
Women,  on  the  other  hand,  usually  practise  dis- 
tinguishing shades  from  childhood,  and  continue  to 
do  so  through  life,  so  long  as  they  retain  their  interest 
in  new  dresses  and  ribbons.  After  investigating 
certain  cases  of  men  rejected  as  candidates  for  various 
positions,  who  have  displayed  examination-fright,  I 
have  found  that  they  have  felt  infinitely  worse  on  being 
subjected  to  colour  tests.  A  worried  and  overworked 
signalman  is  liable  to  be  seized  by  a  subconscious  fear 
that  he  will  not  be  able  to  distinguish  a  signal ;  as  in 
cases  of  loss  of  memory,  temporary  dissociation  may 


RESTORING  FUNCTION  125 

result,  which  may  become  permanent  unless  reassocia- 
tion  can  be  effected  in  some  way.  A  very  slight 
emotion  may  lead  to  some  temporary  confusion  of 
thought  in  a  man  who  is  called  up  to  undergo  a  colour 
test ;  dissociation  may  then  take  place  on  the  spot,  the 
colours  being  found  far  more  difficult  to  distinguish 
than  before  ("  negative  circling  "). 

In  most  instances  which  are  not  grossly  complicated, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  induct  towards  the  subconscious, 
and  to  tell  the  patient  that  he  will  smell,  hear,  see,  or 
taste,  as  the  case  may  be,  when  a  test  will  immediately 
yield  a  positive  result. 

It  should  nevertheless  be  clearly  understood  that 
there  are  very  difficult  cases  in  this  class,  and  sometimes 
impossible  cases;  and  these  fall  chiefly  into  three 
divisions :  (i)  Those  of  such  long  standing  that  re- 
association  seems  impossible  after  trial.  (2)  Those 
too  old  for  reassociation  to  be  possible,  there  being 
evidence  of  some  senile  disconnectedness  of  thought 
or  mental  dulness,  to  be  detected  in  ordinary  conversa- 
tion. (3)  Those  who  have  some  very  definite  motive 
for  remaining  afflicted. 

In  most  cases  of  complete  loss  of  memory  the  treat- 
ment is  easy  and  the  cure  rapid.  Mere  induction 
toward  the  subconscious  may  be  sufficient.  If  not, 
then  simple  carefully  uttered  suggestions  made  in 
induction  will  readily  restore  mental  association,  first 
on  the  subconscious  plane,  and  afterwards  as  between 
the  subconscious  and  the  supraconscious  planes. 

My  own  observations  tend  to  establish  the  fact  that 


126  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

in  functional  loss  of  sight,  memory,  or  hearing  there  is 
often  a  clear  history  of  purposive  repression,  which  later 
has  become  automatic;  this  is  at  first  begotten  of 
emotional  excitement,  such  as  the  fear  of  seeing, 
remembering,  or  hearing  something  or  other.  In  one 
of  my  cases  of  functional  deafness,  a  case  of  twenty- 
five  years'  standing,  the  patient  had,  since  her  school- 
days, always  felt  nervous  lest  she  should  receive  some 
troublesome  information.  When  she  came  into  my 
hands,  quite  late  in  life,  she  was  able  to  recollect,  after 
two  treatments  by  induction,  having  retired  to  her 
room,  being  afraid  to  come  out  lest  she  should  hear  bad 
news  about  her  son.  In  another  case  of  loss  of  memory 
I  only  had  to  tell  the  patient  in  the  subconscious  rest 
that  he  was  afraid  to  remember,  and  that  he  really 
need  not  be  so,  to  bring  back  his  recollection  of  every- 
thing. There  was  no  volitional  repression  in  the  supra- 
conscious  mind,  but  rather  an  auto-inhibition  in  the 
subconscious  mind.  The  rack  would  not  restore  loss 
of  functional  power  so  quickly  as  hetero-  leading  to 
auto-subconscious  enlightenment;  in  one  case,  my 
notes  indicate  that  a  patient  had  suffered  terribly  from 
his  loss  of  memory.  I  found  ample  reason  for  believ- 
ing that  no  threat  or  penalty  whatsoever  would  pro- 
duce the  desired  effect;  on  the  contrary,  such  would 
merely  make  him  worse,  and  probably  drive  him  mad. 
In  another  case  the  patient  was  supposed  to  be  sham- 
ming, and  was  treated  roughly  accordingly;  he  ex- 
plained to  me,  on  recovering,  how  he  had  felt  that 
there  was  no  other  chance  for  him  but  to  be  driven 


RESTORING  FUNCTION  127 

out  of  his  mind,  and  that  he  had  no  power  whatever 
of  preventing  this  eventuality. 

Increased  lacrymation  is  very  prone  to  occur  as  a 
feature  of  many  neuroses  and  psychoses,  on  account 
of  a  central  disturbance  which  acts  both  on  the  vaso- 
motor system  and  on  the  glandular  secretions,  directly 
and  through  the  emotions.  It  is  the  vaso-motor  effect 
which  will  concern  us  for  the  moment.  I  have  treated 
psychasthenic  patients  who  have  developed  such  an 
exaggerated  sensitiveness  that  an  extreme  photo- 
phobia has  provoked  ophthalmitis,  making  it  neces- 
sary for  the  patient  to  occupy  a  darkened  room. 
Normal  activity,  local  and  general,  has  been  restored 
by  suggestion,  no  local  hygienic  or  chemical  applica- 
tions whatever  having  been  required — indeed,  these 
had  previously  been  employed  with  little  or  no 
success. 

As  to  asthenopia  and  eyestrain  from  various  causes, 
I  have  little  to  remark,  beyond  the  fact  that  psycho- 
therapy may  in  some  instances  produce  such  a  steadi- 
ness of  action  in  the  whole  functioning  as  will  either 
render  it  unnecessary  for  the  oculist  to  prescribe  any 
artificial  adjustment,  or  will  help  him  materially  in 
effecting  the  latter,  as  the  case  may  be.  In  many 
instances,  after  treatment  by  psychotherapy,  errors 
have  revealed  themselves  for  treatment  by  the  oculist 
which  could  not  have  been  investigated  previously, 
on  account  of  the  difficulties  which  the  psychasthenia 
presented.  In  some  instances  the  patient  will  refuse  to 
consult  an  oculist  until  treatment  of  the  general  nervous. 


128  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

system  corrects  the  folie  de  resistance.  That  eye- 
strain is  of  great  importance  in  various  neuroses  and 
psychoses  has  been  emphasised  by  such  observers  as 
Ernest  Clarke,  Sydney  Stephenson,  and  Gould,  though 
the  latter  has  appeared  at  times,  in  his  extreme  enthu- 
siasm, to  have  exceeded  the  bounds  of  safe  and  reason- 
able contention. 

From  the  psychotherapist's  point  of  view  eyestrain 
must  be  viewed  as  being  usually  just  one  "arc"  of 
negative  encirclement,  as  in  this  analysis  :  (i)  Nervous 
sensitiveness;  (2)  hard  work;  (3)  worry;  (4)  much, 
reading;  (5)  insomnia  and  dyspepsia;  (6)  eyestrain; 
(7)  more  worry;  (8)  psychasthenia.  This  is  an 
example  subject  to  an  infinite  number  of  variations 
which  include  all  degrees  of  astigmatism. 

Of  course,  it  is  possible  for  eyestrain  to  be  the  actual 
fons  et  origo  of  the  trouble.  This  is  conceivable ;  but 
it  can  rarely  be  the  prime  origin.  Here  is  an  ang^lysis 
which  shows  its  very  early  appearance :  (i)  Nervous 
sensitiveness;  (2)  facial  asymmetry  and  stigmata  of 
degeneration  -plus  astigmatism;  (3)  worry;  (4)  psych- 
asthenia, insomnia,  and  dyspepsia;  (5)  phobias;  (6) 
threats  of  suicide. 

Ophthalmologists  are  perfectly  right  to  point  out  the 
importance  of  eyestrain  as  a  factor  in  the  causation  of 
all  sorts  of  troubles,  even  if  they  go  so  far  as  to  con- 
sider that  it  may  cause  insanity.  Yet  bias,  excitement, 
and  enthusiasm  may  lead  them  beyond  the  bounds  of 

the  legitimate.    Let  me  give  an  example  :  Mrs. had 

suffered  for  three  years  from  so-called  "  neurasthenia," 


RESTORING  FUNCTION  129 

having  become  so  ill  that  she  was  bed-ridden  for 
months.     She  finally  recovered  perfectly  after  a  few 
weeks'  treatment  by  psychotherapy,  when  I   recom- 
mended that  she  should  engage  in  painting.     She 
had   never   previously   done   anything   of   the   kind 
in  her  luxurious  life.     She  had  made  such  a  complete 
recovery  from  her  "neurasthenia"  that  there  was  no 
longer  any  question  as  to  whether  there  might  be  some 
remaining  defect  of  vision.     On  commencing  to  paint, 
however,  eyestrain  began  to  trouble  her,  though  it  was 
not  severe  enough   to  bring   back   any   of  the  old 
psychasthenic  symptoms.     I  sent  her  to  the  family 
ophthalmologist,  who  duly  corrected  the   defect  by 
glasses.     He  questioned  her  as  to  her  history,  telling 
her  he  had  heard  of  her  case.     He  endeavoured  to 
convince  her  that  her  troubles  had  really  begun  in  her 
teens,  and  that  they  owed  their  origin  entirely  to  the 
eyes.     The  patient  was  so  far  from  being  impressed 
by  his  remarks  that  I  had  great  difficulty  in  getting 
her  to  wear  the  glasses  at  all,  so  little  faith  had  she  in 
what  he   said.     The  fact   is  that   she  knew  better; 
analysis  had  distinctly  indicated  that  there  had  been 
early  nerve  shocks,  while  everything  pointed  to  the  fact 
that  the  astigmatism  had  originated,  together  with 
asthenopia,  while  she  was  going  through  three  years  of 
Weir-Mitchell  and  other  depressing  treatments. 

It  may  be  difficult  to  decide  how  far  this  or  that 
negative  factor  has  been  of  effect  in  any  particular 
case ;  all  I  wish  to  do  is  to  warn  the  ophthalmologist 
against  becoming  biassed  or  astigmatic  in  the  judg- 

9 


I30  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ment  of  his  own  mind's  eye,  and  to  remind  him  that 
one  of  the  most  striking  effects  of  psychotherapy  is 
the  recovery  from  facial  asymmetry,  as  exhibited  by 
many  cases. 

Mucous  membrane  secretions  can  be  easily  regu- 
lated by  neuroinduction  in  most  cases  of  nasal  trouble, 
including  hay  asthma,  as  will  be  seen  in  another 
chapter.  Indeed,  we  seem  to  require  no  further  argu- 
ment than  that  sneezing  and  hyperaemia  of  the  mucous 
membrane  may  be  readily  produced — as  also  suffused 
eyes — by  common  suggestion.  We  must  at  once  con- 
clude that  suitable  induction  will  remove  these  dis- 
orders. In  practice  we  find  it  does  so.  The  follow- 
ing cases  will  illustrate  this  : 

A  man,  thirty-four  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me 
suffering  from  "borderline"  psychasthenia.  Among 
many  other  complaints,  he  mentioned  having  had  four 
operations  on  the  nose  for  polypus  and  "  thickenings." 
He  had  sought  the  advice  of  a  specialist  "at  least 
once  a  year."  He  asked  me  whether  he  should  have 
"another  piece  taken  out"  before  commencing  treat- 
ment with  me,  or  whether  he  should  wait  until  after 
treatment.  I  told  him  to  wait.  On  commencing 
treatment,  I  found  that  reclining  on  a  couch  was 
extremely  difficult  for  him,  both  on  account  of  his 
inability  to  breathe  through  his  nose  and  because  some 
discharge  ran  down  into  his  throat  from  the  back 
of  the  nose.  Attempts  at  reclining  were  every  few 
minutes  disturbed ;  he  could  not  at  first  feel  sufficiently 
comfortable    even    when    leaning    back    in    a    chair. 


RESTORING  FUNCTION  131 

Accordingly  neuroinduction  was  at  first  found  almost 
impossible.  Howevei*,  I  sought  by  efforts  momentarily 
made,  by  induction  with  outward  palpation,  to 
diminish  the  swelling  and  discharge,  with  the  result 
that  in  a  few  days  he  was  delighted  by  the  compara- 
tive freedom  with  which  he  was  able  both  to  breathe 
through  the  nose  and  to  lie  down.  He  has  not  been 
troubled  since  he  was  last  treated  two  years  ago. 

Miss ,  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  had  suffered 

from  childhood  from  very  severe  hysterical  psychas- 
thenia.  For  a  period  of  twelve  months,  during  one  of 
the  more  difficult  phases,  she  had  been  certificated.  She 
had  had  "  some  sort  of  operation  "  for  pain  in  the  nose, 
without  obtaining  any  relief.  Her  throat  also  had 
been  operated  upon ;  dilatation  of  the  cervix  uteri  had 
also  been  performed.  Many  other  propositions  had 
been  mooted  in  her  case.  When  sent  to  me  she  was 
bedridden,  for  her  eyes  had  become  secondarily 
affected ;  photophobia  was  intense,  insomnia  bad ;  and 
there  were  also  phobias  in  respect  of  swallowing  and 
speaking,  which  had  latterly  developed  to  "  fill  up  the 
cup."  Neuroinduction  first  restored  the  sense  of  smell, 
which  she  never  remembered  having  possessed  in  her 
life;  this  resulted  from  one  treatment.  In  three  weeks 
she  was  walking  in  the  open,  with  no  shade  and  no 
distress  from  either  nose  or  eyes.  In  six  weeks  she 
was  perfectly  well,  and  for  three  years,  up  to  this  time 
of  writing,  she  has  remained  so. 

As  indicating  what  suggestion  will  accomplish  after 
errors  of  refraction,  astigmatism,  and  accommodation 


132  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

have  been  fully  met  by  the  artificial  aid  of  "  glasses,"  I 
will  cite  the  case  of  a  secretary  whom  an  oculist 
could  barely  save  from  "  going  blind,"  so  ineffectual  was 
the  functioning.  Every  few  weeks,  for  many  months, 
a  cloudiness  would  occur,  which  the  oculist  deemed  to 
be  caused  by  haemorrhages.  General  nervous  distress, 
with  much  pain  and  redness  about  the  eyes,  brought 
the  patient  into  my  hands.  Within  a  few  days  from 
the  first  treatment  by  neuroinduction  not  only  was  a 
return  towards  the  patient's  normal  obvious  to  every- 
one, but  she  could  engage  in  her  duties — which  in- 
cluded reading  and  writing  a  great  deal — better  than 
she  had  done  for  many  months  past. 

The  eyes  are  extremely  sensitive  to  suggestion.  I 
have  known  more  than  one  case  in  which  the  remark 
of  an  oculist  that  he  did  not  think  the  patient  would 
"  go  blind "  was  sufficient  to  cause  the  eyes  and  the 
patient's  general  condition  to  become  worse  :  the  very 
mention  of  blindness  had  upset  the  whole  nervous 
system,  which  neuroinduction  restored  by  way  of 
general  confidence,  a  local  feeling  of  comfort  through 
actual  inflammatory  regression. 

The  worst  case  in  my  experience  of  general  nervous 
and  mental  stress  through  eyestrain  is  that  of  a  girl 
whom  many  physicians  and  surgeons  failed  to  help. 
She  complained  of  a  feeling  that  her  "  eyes  were  being 
pulled  back  into  her  head."  She  had  sense  enough 
to  declare  that  nothing  could  prevent  her  "  going  into 
an  asylum,"  the  strain  was  so  great.  During  several 
years  her  mental  condition  gradually  became  harder 


RESTORING  FUNCTION  133 

for  everyone  to  bear.  Neuroinduction  restored  all  to 
normality,  and  she  has  been  doing  duty  for  several 
years  in  high  Government  office.  She  had  worn 
"glasses"  for  years  before  coming  to  me,  and  these 
were  neither  changed  at  any  period  of  the  treatment 
nor  afterwards. 


CHAPTER  VII 

DISORDERS   OF  THE  ALIMENTARY 
TRACT 

It  is  noteworthy  how  often  we  find  a  neurotic  factor 
in  the  causation  of  gastric  and  duodenal  ulcer.  Such  a 
factor  should  always  be  studied  as  an  arc  of  a  negative 
circle.  We  know,  also,  that  malignant  disease  of  the 
stomach  sometimes  follows  chronic  dyspepsia,  which 
is  itself  so  very  often  neurotic.  Again,  many  cases  of 
appendicitis  may  be  regarded  as  plainly  related  to 
neurotic  dyspepsia.  Accordingly  psychotherapy  will 
make  a  very  powerful  appeal  in  this  connection,  especi- 
ally when  we  realise  how  greatly  the  glandular  secre- 
tions may  be  influenced  by  neuroinduction. 

The  effects  of  simple  suggestion  on  the  flow  of  the 
saliva  are  enough  to  arrest  the  most  sceptical,  and  to 
recommend  a  serious  study  of  the  various  glandular 
secretions,  even  if  Pawlow's  experiments  were  not 
sufficient  to  make  the  most  obtuse  believe  that  "there 
is  something  in  it." 

In  writing  of  dyspepsia  Dr.  Drummond  was  surely 
on  the  right  track  when  he  asked,  "  What  is  the  cause 
of  the  condition  ?"  and  went  on  to  observe  that,  "  to 
discover  the  cause  .  .  .  is  .  .  .  often  a  very  difficult 

1,34 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  135 

matter.  ...  If  we  are  to  treat  indigestion  with 
success,  we  must  learn  the  art  of  getting  our  patient's 
secrets  out  of  him." 

I  do  not  mind  whether  the  cause  of  dyspepsia  be 
put  down  to  diet,  overeating,  bolting  food,  insomnia, 
irregularity  of  meals,  constipation,  alcohol,  tobacco, 
chronic  debilitating  disease,  or  worry — and  of  all  these 
I  should  be  inclined  to  give  the  last  as  the  most  con- 
stant and  important  "  arc  "  of  "  negative  circling  "  in 
all  functional  cases — in  any  case,  any  treatment  what- 
soever must  take  a  second  place  to  psychotherapy, 
unless  perchance  removal  of  the  cause  can  be  effected 
by  one  simple  action,  as  by  a  gift  of  income  relieving 
penury.  Moreover,  if  this  conclusion  be  arrived  at 
after  treating  a  large  number  of  the  most  difficult 
cases,  one  must  admit  the  argument  as  applying  to  all 
degrees  of  the  disorder.    Even  the  toothless  are  curable. 

Among  my  cases  have  been  many  so-called  incur- 
ables, such  as  one  who  had  developed  toxaemic  neuras- 
thenia, and  who  would  not  hear  of  artificial  teeth,  all 
natural  ones  having  been  cleared  out  some  years 
previously  by  a  mouth-hygiene  enthusiast ;  also  bolters 
of  food  with  epileptic  histories ;  City  neurotics  who  had 
for  years  done  their  best  business  at  meal-times,  and 
would  "  listen  to  no  doctors,"  as  their  attendants  and 
relatives  have  declared — even  such  have  been  cured. 
I  will  refer  to  one,  by  way  of  illustration  : 

A  man,  forty-five,  a  City  merchant,  was  sent  to  me 
by  a  distinguished  neurologist  suffering  from  dilated 
and  ptotic  stomach;  he  was  thin,  haggard,  and  dis- 


136  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

tressed-looking,  and  gave  a  history  of  years  of  stomach 
trouble.  He  had  been  treated  by  "  stomach-tube  and 
washing"  every  day  for  two  years  (for  six  months 
twice  a  day),  on  the  advice  of  a  leading  consultant,  and 
had  finally  been  reduced  to  peptonised  milk  and  certain 
special  liquid  foods.  After  three  weeks'  treatment  by 
neuroinduction  he  was  sent  out  to  a  restaurant  in  order 
to  take  a  test-meal.  He  was  told  to  take  just  what 
he  fancied,  regardless  of  consequences.  He  ordered 
steak-and-kidney  pudding.  His  only  answer  to 
inquiry  on  the  following  day  was :  "  I  had  a  second 
helping."  He  explained  afterwards  that  on  making 
the  frontal  attack  his  ideas  were  half  begotten  of 
confident  joy  and  half  of  a  developing  threat :  "  If  I  am 
ill  again,  then  I  know  whom  to  blame,  and  I  have  done 
with  '  suggestion.' " 

There  is  nothing  so  easy  to  treat  by  neuroinduction 
as  a  difficulty  in  digesting  certain  kinds  of  food,  which 
has  followed  some  feeling  of  sickness  that  has  occurred 
years  previously — after  eating,  for  instance.  I  have  had 
many  cases  of  inability  to  eat  cheese,  and  all  sorts 
of  indigestible  things,  "since  childhood,"  in  which 
normality  has  been  restored  quite  readily,  after  due 
consideration  of  the  physiological  possibilities.  Nor 
will  this  be  so  much  wondered  at  when  I  declare  that 
the  therapeutist  will  hardly  ever  fail  to  restore  taste 
or  smell  when  lost  by  dissociation,  and  usually  in  one 
treatment. 

One  of  the  chief  reasons  why  psychotherapy  is  so 
eminently  successful  in  nervous  disorders  is  that  the 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  137 

treatment  begins  to  correct  errors  of  digestion  from 
the  very  first,  just  as  it  commences  to  relieve  general 
tension  and  abnormality  of  glandular  secretion. 

I  ought  to  explain  that  in  some  cases  of  dyspepsia 
treated  by  neuroinduction  there  is  a  return  toward 
the  normal  anatomical  arrangement  and  physiological 
disposition,  even  when  visceroptosis  obtains.  This 
will  not  be  in  the  least  surprising  to  careful  readers  of 
medical  literature — probably  least  of  all  to  Dr.  Percy 
Mitchell,  who  found  that  a  mere  touch  of  the  skin 
near  the  left  costal  arch  causes  contraction  of  the 
stomach,  which  gives  me  reason  to  think  that  he  will 
be  interested  in  this  paper.  Of  course,  if  the  patient 
has  suffered  severely  for  too  many  years,  recovery  may 
not  take  place,  although  I  have  known  men  over  fifty 
recover,  in  whom  visceroptosis  had  been  previously 
diagnosed. 

I  prefer  to  study  this  class  of  case  by  a  "circling" 
analysis  which  may  be  represented  in  the  following 
sequence:  (i)  Born  sensitive;  (2)  business  and  family 
troubles ;  (3)  dyspepsia ;  (4)  constipation ;  (5)  anorexia ; 
(6)  loss  of  weight ;  (7)  worry  about  illness ;  (8)  depres- 
sion and  neurasthenia.  Another  example  :  ( i )  Alcohol ; 
(2)  tobacco ;  (3)  dyspepsia ;  (4)  insomnia ;  (5)  neuras- 
thenia. 

A  medical  man  had  suffered  for  ten  years  from 
insomnia,  dyspepsia,  gastroptosis,  and  psychasthenia. 
He  was  sent  to  me  as  suffering  from  psychasthenia.  I 
could  not  view  his  case  as  psychasthenia  following 
gastroptosis,  dyspepsia,  and  insomnia,  though  respect- 


138  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ing  the  opinions  of  various  great  authorities  as  to  the 
"  real  trouble."  I  found  that  the  seeds  of  gradually  de- 
veloping insomnia  and  dyspepsia  had  been  sown  ten 
years  previously  by  an  injury  to  his  leg,  which  had 
worried  him  greatly  and  laid  him  up  for  weeks.  I 
was,  therefore,  obliged  to  go  straight  for  his  nervous 
system,  which  had  been  a  sensitive  one  from  birth, 
likely  to  beget  dyspepsia  and  psychasthenia  should 
any  particular  worry  come  upon  him. 

Thus  it  is  immaterial  to  me  whether  a  dyspepsia 
has  been  diagnosed  by  anyone  as  flatulent,  hyper- 
chlorhydriatic,  atonic,  or  mental  (Drummond),  or 
whether  this  tonic  or  that  holiday  has  improved  it; 
psychotherapy  of  the  right  kind  will,  above  all,  prove 
equal  to  it.  Pawlow  did  a  great  deal  for  psycho- 
therapy when  he  dealt  with  non-conscious  animals,  and 
inquirers  of  to-day  are  not  slow  to  take  advantage 
of  it.  If  dogs  can  exhibit  an  increased  flow  of  gastric 
juice  due  to  the  stimulus  of  sight  or  sound,  how  much 
more,  therefore,  might  we  expect  human  beings  to 
be  influenced  by  induction,  which  has  much  finer 
mechanism  as  material — mechanism  which  is  in  all 
respects  comparatively  ideal. 

Professor  Cannon's  investigations  on  cats  may  use- 
fully be  referred  to.  He  found  that  disturbances 
in  the  higher  cerebral  mechanism  associated  with 
psychical  activity  caused  movements  in  the  alimentary 
canal  and  favoured  digestion,  which  movements  were 
inhibited  by  anything  that  irritated  the  animal  and 
created   fear   or  anger.     How   frivolous   seem   some 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  139 

injunctions  in  the  way  of  treatment !  One  may  read, 
at  the  close  of  heavy,  dignified  articles  in  medical 
journals  on  dyspepsia,  recommendations  of  "rest," 
"exercise,"  "fresh  air  and  exercise,"  "forced  feeding 
and  rest,"  "  Weir-Mitchell  and  forced  feeding,"  and  so 
forth;  and  as  to  drugs,  what  a  difficulty  there  seems 
to  be  to  find  something  new,  authorities  finally  falling 
back  in  sheer  beggary  on  the  conclusion  that  "  nothing 
is  so  good  as  the  old  things,"  and  resorting  to  bismuth, 
soda,  antiseptics,  pepsiri,  patent  foods,  and  even  lactic 
acid  bacilli — oh,  what  a  museumful  of  remedies ! 
How  behind  the  times,  when  one  knows  that  favourable 
effects  in  human  beings  had  been  produced  by  psycho- 
therapy years  before  Cannon  and  Pawlow  started 
experimenting  !  Psychotherapy  would  have  long  ago 
made  the  way  it  is  making  to-day  had  it  not  been 
for  misunderstandings  and  prejudices. 

Advancement,  however,  is  often  all  the  more  swift 
and  compelling  the  longer  one  is  obliged  to  wait  for  its 
culmination.  We  now  know  not  only  that  the  supply 
of  gastric  juice,  but  a  large  number  of  other  processes 
can  be  regulated,  by  a  means  operating  both  locally 
and  centrally — directly  and  indirectly — with  an  ease 
of  application,  fineness  of  adjustment,  and  efficacy  in 
respect  of  functional  disorder,  which  combine  to 
characterise  the  neuroinduction  stage  of  therapeutic 
development  as  "  destined  to  be  epoch-making,"  to  use 
the  expression  of  an  unbiassed  and  open-minded 
scientist  who  has  a  sufficient  acquaintance  with  th? 
fact§, 


HO  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Constipation 

Is  it  necessary  to  write  a  word  more  under  the 
heading  "  Gastro-Intestinal "  ?  Does  it  not  follow 
from  what  has  already  been  said  that  there  cannot  be 
any  treatment  for  disorders  of  intestinal  functioning 
which  can  hope  to  equal  neuroinduction  ? 

Mrs.  ,  of ,  fifty-six  years  of  age,  had  for 

some  years  been  a  bad  sleeper.  Frequently  she  would 
'*  lie  awake  all  night."  She  had  suffered  from  constipa- 
tion, indigestion,  and  disturbed  sleep  since  childhood. 
For  the  last  seven  or  eight  years  before  treatment  by 
neuroinduction  she  had  taken  every  form  of  medicine 
she  could  procure,  in  considerable  doses.  She  had  not 
had  any  movement  of  the  bowels  without  medicine 
for  some  three  years,  and  never  recollected  being  a 
whole  week  without  medicine  in  her  life.  Among  her 
distressing  symptoms  were  almost  constant  headache, 
dizziness  (sometimes  so  bad  as  to  cause  her  to  feel  that 
her  mind  was  becoming  disordered — she  could  not 
be  left  alone),  want  of  energy,  disinclination  for  action 
of  any  kind,  loss  of  appetite,  nervousness  regarding 
sounds,  etc.,  sensations  of  fulness  and  indigestion,  with 
nasty  risings  and  tastes  in  the  mouth.  One  treat- 
ment by  neuroinduction,  lasting  thirty  minutes,  pro- 
duced a  daily  regularity  of  the  bowels;  a  second 
confirmed  the  new  condition ;  since  which  all  symptoms 
have  rapidly  disappeared,  and  the  patient  is  compara- 
tively "  a  new  being." 

Mr.    ,    of   ,    twenty-seven    years    of    ag^. 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  141 

complained  of  feeling  generally  ill.  His  chief  symp- 
toms were  weakness,  want  of  sleep,  and  constipation. 
He  had  been  advised  by  his  "  chief  "  that  if  his  health 
remained  as  it  was  he  could  not  retain  his  position; 
he  felt  that  he  could  not  continue  his  daily  duties  any 
longer.  He  took  pills  four  to  six  nights  a  week,  and  had 
reached  a  stage  when  nine  were  proving  insufficient. 
He  had  not  had  a  natural  movement  for  five  years. 
His  headaches  had  been  distracting,  and  the  sleep- 
lessness so  severe  that  he  could  only  obtain  "  snatches  " 
of  half  an  hour  to  an  hour,  being  thus  disturbed  all 
night.  One  treatment  of  neuroinduction  of  thirty 
minutes'  duration  produced  a  natural  movement  of 
the  bowels  next  morning;  a  second  confirmed  the 
altered  state,  and  all  symptoms  cleared  up,  no 
medicines  of  any  kind  being  afterwards  required. 
The  change  in  the  man's  appearance  and  in  his  cheer- 
fulness, in  the  week  following  and  since  then,  have 
been  most  striking,  as  may  be  imagined.  In  a  fort- 
night he  declared  himself  as  feeling  better  than  he  had 
been  since  his  marriage,  twelve  years  previously,  and 
more  capable  of  performing  his  duties. 

Miss ,  of ,  eighteen  years  of  age,  first  sought 

advice  for  painful,  haemorrhagic  piles.  Her  mother 
had  been  advised  that  only  a  surgical  operation  would 
cure  her,  such  was  the  severity  of  the  case.  She 
suffered  from  constipation,  of  course,  which  necessi- 
tated dosing  with  purgatives  of  all  kinds,  without 
which  she  never  had  a  natural  movement  of  the  bowels. 
There  was  also  loss  of  appetite,  sleeplessness,  and 


142  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

nervousness.  She  had  become  thin  and  ill-looking. 
The  distressing  pain  of  the  piles  and  her  "  feeling  fit 
for  nothing"  led  the  mother  to  take  further  advice 
before  consenting  to  operation.  I  treated  her  twice, 
with  the  same  results  as  in  the  above  cases — that  is 
to  say,  all  symptoms  disappeared,  no  medicines  were 
required  for  the  bowels,  and  the  piles  vanished,  causing 
no  more  trouble. 

Nurse ,  of ,  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  com- 
plained of  constipation  a  week  before  each  monthly 
period.  When  this  set  in  she  was  sick  and  faint  for 
some  three  hours,  retching  frequently,  having  to  lie 
down,  and  feeling  fit  for  nothing,  while  the  pain  was 
always  great.  Neuroinduction  corrected  the  constipa- 
tion the  next  day,  and  this  cure  became  permanent, 
while  the  periods  became  absolutely  normal,  without 
pain  or  distress  of  any  kind — and,  of  course,  without 
sickness. 

Miss  ,   of  ,  eighteen   years   of  age,   was 

brought  to  me  by  her  distressed  mother,  suffering  from 
headache  and  mental  confusion.  I  found  her  morose 
and  irritable,  and  she  complained  of  sleeplessness. 
She  had  no  appetite,  constipation  was  bad,  and  she 
had  not  for  years  had  a  movement  without  large  doses 
of  medicine.  Her  monthly  periods  had  ceased  five 
months  previously,  after  having  been  irregular  for 
some  time.  Neuroinduction  cleared  up  all  symptoms, 
and  she  gained  over  a  stone  in  weight  in  six  weeks. 
This  patient  was  somewhat  limited  in  her  mental 
powers,  owing  to  her  general  condition;  she  was,  in 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  143 

consequence,  at  first  rather  difficult  to  treat,  but  a 
gradual  improvement  all  round  soon  made  it  easy  to 
obtain  permanent  effects.  (The  more  intellectual  a 
patient,  the  quicker  and  easier  is  the  permanent  cure.) 
Referring  to  certain  observations  made  by  Sir 
Arbuthnot  Lane,  Dr.  Distaso  has  written : 

"All  these  observations  confirm  the  assertion  that 
constipation  is  due  to  the  intestinal  flora  which  cause 
the  retention  of  the  faeces  in  the  large  bowel  for  a  long 
time.  These  undergo  putrefaction.  Hence,  the  pro- 
duction of  the  soluble  poisons  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  extraction  of  the  poisons  retained  by  the  dead 
microbes  on  the  other,  give  rise  to  auto-intoxication. 
All  these  phenomena  are  removed  by  the  removal  of 
the  large  intestine.  Therefore  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  seat  of  constipation  is  in  the  large  bowel,  and  that 
the  intoxication  occurring  in  a  constipated  person  is 
the  result  of  the  activity  of  the  microbes  of  the 
intestine." 

A  well-known  surgeon  has  contributed  a  very 
good  article  to  the  Clinical  Journal  on  large  bowel 
disorders  needing  the  surgeon.     He  writes  : 

"Another  common  cause  of  these  disorders  is  con- 
stipation. Of  course,  I  cannot  go  into  that,  but  I 
should  like  to  say  that  if  anyone  can  tell  me  of  a  cure 
for  constipation  I  shall  be  very  glad." 

In  this  chapter  he  has  his  answer,  not  for  a  time, 
not  such  as  will  satisfy  a  passing  fashion,  but  one  for 
all  time.  Nor  can  it  possibly  be  urged  that  the  science 
and  the  technique  of  the  treatment  are  difficult :  the 
whole  thing  is  quite  easy  for  any  medical  man  to 


144  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

employ — at  least,  as  regards  most  cases  of  constipa- 
tion— as  I  am  prepared  any  day  to  demonstrate. 
Hertz  and  Newton  have  made  it  abundantly  clear 

"  that  the  ileum  possesses  the  terminal  sphincter  which 
was  claimed  by  Professor  Keith,  as  an  anatomist,  more 
than  ten  years  ago;  and  further,  that  this  sphincter 
governs  (as  Keith  suggested)  the  flow  of  contents  from 
ileum  to  caecum.  It  is  now  demonstrated  that  this 
sphincter  is  regulated  by  impulses  connected  with  the 
passage  of  food  into  the  stomach — the  gastro-iliac 
reflex.  Normal  iliac  stasis  is  therefore  to  be 
regarded  as  the  outcome  of  this  regulating  mechan- 
ism; abnormal  iliac  stasis  seems  clearly  due  to 
some  defect  of  this  mechanism.  Again,  after  the 
caecum  and  colon  have  become  filled  by  the  passage 
of  intestinal  contents  through  the  ileo-caecal  valve, 
movements  of  the  large  intestine  are  apparently 
produced  by  the  stimulus  of  the  entry  of  food  into  the 
stomach — the  gastro-colic  reflex — which  in  most  in- 
individuals  results  in  defaecation  after  breakfast, 
although  the  desire  to  defaecate  may  also  be  manifested 
after  other  meals." 

Professor  Cannon  has  made  it  equally  obvious  that 
under  certain  circumstances  the  sphincters  of  the 
alimentary  tract  should  relax.  I  simply  offer  the 
asseverations  of  these  authorities  en  passant,  as  being 
interesting  contributions  to  our  argument.  There  are 
others  worth  notice  in  this  connection,  such  as  Caird's 
remark  at  a  meeting  of  the  Edinburgh  Medico- 
Chirurgical  Society,  January,  191 4,  that  he 

"  had  in  his  experience  of  abdominal  operations  found 
kinks  and  bends  but  rarely,  while  in  the  post-mortem 
room  he  had  seen  cases  of  very  extensive  and  serious 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  145 

peritoneal  adhesion  associated  with  good  digestion 
and  normal  evacuation." 

Torrance  Thomson  gave  his  opinion  on  the  same 
occasion 

"that  in  addition  to  the  local  condition  in  the 
bowel  there  was  also  a  constitutional  fault,  and  that 
nervous  debility  and  some  psychic  factor  were 
present." 

All  these  little  indications  help  us. 
I  must  respectfully  remind  Sir  Arbuthnot  Lane  that 
constipation  is  the  initial  factor  which  brings  in  train 
all  the  effects  of  stasis,  the  wrinkled  skin,  the  offensive 
axillae,  the  enfeebled  circulation,  occasionally  cancer, 
and  even  certain  cases  of  tuberculosis.     To  the  writer 
of  these  pages  the  cause  of  constipation  is  equally 
clear.     Personally,  I  view  all  this  fuss  about  chronic 
intestinal  stasis,  and  the  theory  that  the  "only  thing 
for  it  is  to  cut  out  the  large  intestine,"  as  a  revelation 
of  painfully  ineffectual  therapy,  and  I  am  not  going  to 
hesitate  to  say  so.     I  might  agree  that  it  is  a  counsel 
of  perfection  that  many  large  intestines  should  be 
sacrificed  to-day  as  they  exist,  in  a  hopeless  degree  of 
disorder;  but  I  am  more  than  satisfied  that  were  the 
principle  of  treatment  which  I  advocate  adopted  early 
and  extensively  there  would  very  soon  be  a  mere  frac- 
tion of  the  present  number  of  cases  which  would 
require  this  extreme  surgical  measure.    I  feel  confident 
that  Sir  Arbuthnot  Lane  would  admit  this  if  he  knew 
the  facts.     In  bad  cases  of  intestinal  stasis  I  recom- 

10 


146  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

mend  treatment  by  high  enemata  over  the  period 
during  which  neuroinduction  is  employed.  Cases  too 
bad  for  even  this  procedure  to  effect  a  cure  I  should,  of 
course,  refer  to  the  surgeon. 

As  regards  technique,  I  declare  frankly  that  I  can- 
not give  the  proportional  value  of  manipulation  and 
mental  induction;  nor  can  I  express  an  opinion  as 
to  whether  it  is  of  any  use  to  attempt  to  deal  separ- 
ately* with  contractile  and  expansile  power,  when 
dealing  with  the  intestines.  Sometimes  it  seems  that 
word  of  mouth  gives  the  best  results,  quite  independ- 
ently of  any  manipulation  whatsoever.  I  have  tried 
this  in  a  case  of  constipation  with  mucous  colitis  which 
had  defied  all  other  methods,  and  which  was  made 
worse  by  massage — this  having  the  effect  of  increasing 
hysterical  ideas.  I  decided  to  use  no  local  manipula- 
tions at  all,  and  to  depend  upon  general  training  and 
the  spoken  word;  the  result  was  eminently  satis- 
factory. I  am  not  going  to  be  dogmatic  in  any  way ; 
I  feel  sure  that  a  much  finer  technique  will  be  forth- 
coming at  some  future  day,  in  the  hands  of  those  who 
will  take  up  the  work  from  the  stage  it  has  now  reached, 
and  will  greatly  improve  upon  it. 

As  an  example  of  analysis  of  "negative  circling" 
in  intestinal  stasis  I  offer  this:  (i)  Depression;  (2) 
impaired  peristalsis ;  (3)  dyspepsia  and  auto-intoxica- 
tion;  (4)  central  inefficiency;  (5)  enteroptosis  and 
stasis ;  (6)  loss  of  weight ;  (7)  worry  (illness  and  finan- 
cial) ;  (8)  insomnia. 

I  must  here  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  referring  to 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  147 

the  work  of  Dr.  Brock  of  Edinburgh,  who  seems  to  me 
most  dehghtfully  to  understand  the  sequence  of 
factors  in  the  etiology  of  gastro-intestinal  disorders. 
I  would  counsel  students  of  psychotherapy  to  read 
every  word  whenever  Dr.  Brock  writes  the  smallest 
fragment  under  this  particular  heading.  Let  such  be 
searched  for  in  the  indices  of  the  medical  journals; 
they  make  downright  good  reading.  I  should  also 
like  to  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  commending  the 
work  of  Dr.  Betts-Taplin  of  Liverpool  in  this  and  in 
many  other  connections. 

I  will  conclude  a  section  which  might  well  be 
enlarged  into  a  whole  volume  by  referring  to  a  mental 
case.  A  man  of  forty-five  had  suffered  from  severe 
constipation  for  years,  and  since  being  under  restraint 
had  resisted  all  efforts  made  by  others  to  compel 
evacuation  by  means  of  medicines;  very  large  doses 
of  drastic  purgatives  had  been  employed,  until 
it  was  advisable  to  lessen  the  risk  of  poisoning  by 
giving  enemata,  which  required  three  and  sometimes 
four  strong  men  to  administer,  until  something  led  to 
my  being  called  in — as  much  the  hopelessness  and 
despair  of  everybody  concerned  as  anything  else.  I 
secured  some  "snap"  chances  to  employ  neuro- 
induction,  by  means  of  very  slight  manipulations 
of  the  abdomen,  while  making  careful  and  suitable 
remarks  to  others  in  the  presence  of  the  patient. 
Natural  normal  movements  were  the  result.  I  feel 
confident  that  no  treatment  on  earth  but  that  which  I 
employed — or  one  just  similar,  exercisable  by  any 


148  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

who  might  learn  the  simple  technique — could  have 
accomplished  as  good  results. 


DiARRHCEA 

In  this  disorder  favourable  results  from  the  employ- 
ment of  neuroinduction  might  be  taken  almost  for 
granted  by  readers  of  the  foregoing.  But  some 
readers  might,  perhaps,  be  disappointed  if  I  did  not 
give  a  case : 

A  lady  of  title  had  suffered  some  years  from 
diarrhoea,  which  had  become  so  bad  that  at  times  she 
dared  not  leave  her  bed;  she  had  been  judged,  by 
consultants  of  standing,  to  be  incurable  by  any  means 
short  of  such  as  would  have  been  risky  at  her 
advanced  age.  Everything  had  been  tried  in  the  way 
of  diet,  antiseptics,  and  astringents.  Very  simple 
induction  was  sufficient  to  effect  a  complete  cure, 
without  employing  any  medicines  whatsoever. 

Where  "intestinal  flora"  are  at  work  in  "negative 
circling  "  they  might  well,  as  a  rule,  be  ignored  in  treat- 
ment by  psychotherapy,  for  this  would,  other  things 
being  equal,  soon  restore  equilibrium,  and  leave  no 
chance  for  any  flora  to  thrive;  but  in  some  cases 
certain  well-known  medicines  will  undoubtedly  help, 
the  point  being  that  the  latter  might  be  found  of 
little  use  by  themselves.  It  is  true  that  neuroinduc- 
tion often  brings  about  changes  very  rapidly,  but  for 
the  first  few  days  I  should  not,  in  bad  cases,  hesitate 
to  give  medicines  in  addition,  believing  that  as  adju- 


THE  Alimentary  tract        149 

vants  to  psychotherapy  they  will  be  of  more  use  than 
alone — they  will  get  their  best  chance,  so  to  speak,  for 
whatever  they  might  be  worth.  Similarly,  in  some 
cases  of  constipation  I  may  occasionally  give  some 
simple  remedy  for  a  day  or  two,  until  neuroinduction 
has  proceeded  far  enough — especially  when  there  is 
severe  stasis  or  any  degree  of  impaction. 


Mucous  Colitis 

Inasmuch  as  many  present-day  physicians — among 
whom  may  be  mentioned  Professor  Osier  and  Dr. 
Goodhart  in  this  country,  and  Professor  Van  Noorden 
abroad — have  regarded  true  mucous  colitis  as  "  a 
motor-sensory  and  secretory  neurosis  of  the  bowel, 
which  is  in  its  turn  a  manifestation  of  general  nervous 
irritability  or  neurasthenia,"  the  present  writer's 
remarks  regarding  the  effects  of  neuroinduction  need 
neither  be  very  emphatic  nor  lengthy.  The  deduction 
I  have  to  make  is  already  in  the  reader's  mind. 
Another  authority  on  intestinal  disorders  may  well 
write:  "From  this  point  of  view  the  name  mucous 
colitis  is  ill-chosen." 

Surmont  and  Detrou  in  France,  and  others,  have 
conducted  interesting  experiments  which  demonstrate 
the  fact  that  mechanical  irritation  determines  a  state 
of  spasmodic  constipation  with  hypersecretion  of 
mucus,  while  faradisation  of  the  vagus  produces  all 
the  symptoms  of  myxorrhoea.  Bacterial  infection  has 
also  been  proved  capable  of  causing  the  latter  dis- 


150  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

order.  All  this  is  quite  useful  for  our  present  argu- 
ment. One  is  moreover  quite  thankful  when  Good- 
hart  writes  :  "  Mucous  colitis  is  more  of  the  nature  of 
an  abdominal  neurosis  than  of  any  real  disorder  of 
the  mucous  membrane  of  the  bowel."  Psychotherapy 
confirms  all  this  up  to  the  hilt;  indeed,  it  lets  in 
still  further  light. 

Miss  ,  twenty-six,  had  suffered  from  psychas- 

thenia  for  fourteen  years,  the  complicating  features  of 
which  ranged  from  dyspepsia,  vomiting,  and  constipa- 
tion, to  insomnia,  hysteria,  and  paralysis  of  the  limbs. 
She  had  been  operated  on  for  a  possible  kink,  for  stric- 
ture of  oesophagus,  and  also  for  appendicitis,  with  no 
more  favourable  results  than  could  easily  be  put  down 
to  good  nursing  and  a  pleasant  environment.  At 
length  mucous  colitis  was  diagnosed  by  a  London 
physician,  when  everybody  concerned  was  conscious 
of  great  relief  that  something  had  been  found  to 
account  for  everything;  if  not  accounting  for  every- 
thing in  the  past,  it  could  at  least  be  depended  upon 
as  constituting  a  diagnosis  of  the  present  condition. 
But  the  usual  treatments  for  mucous  colitis,  varied  and 
classical,  proved  ineffectual.  The  case  then  came 
into  the  hands  of  a  distinguished  neurologist,  who 
recommended  psychotherapy.  In  a  few  weeks  the 
psychasthenia  was  reduced,  the  constipation  was 
relieved,  and  the  mucous  colitis  simply  disappeared. 
Thus  the  patient  was  gradually  restored  to  a  comfort- 
able position  in  the  world.  After  being  so  far  cured 
she  required  a  little  further  treatment  by  suggestion, 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  151 

being  apparently  ready  to  shrink  back  into  some  sort 
of  neurosis  due  to  the  excitement  of  her  new  Hfe  of  free- 
dom and  activity,  after  years  of  comparative  imprison- 
ment in  hopeless  exile  from  society.  Finally  she  grew 
accustomed  to  normal  life.  No  healthier  or  happier 
human  countenance  could  be  seen  to-day  :  she  presents 
no  sign  or  symptom  which  could  be  discerned  in 
the  ordinary  observation  even  of  experts — nothing 
but  the  marks  of  old  operations. 

As  an  object-lesson,  which  teaches  various  scientific 
truths  regarding  the  functioning  of  the  alimentary 
tract,  whether  associated  with  psychasthenia  or  no, 
the  following  notes  of  a  case  will  be  found  worthy  of 
study.  I  give  first  the  "negative  circling"  of  the 
patient,  a  man  aged  fifty-five,  who  had  been  energetic, 
clever,  and  prominent  in  the  business  world  :  ( i ) 
"  Nervy,"  highly  strung ;  (2)  successful  in  business ;  (3) 
constipation  and  mucous  colitis;  (4)  dyspepsia;  (5) 
insomnia;  (6)  phobias;  (7)  highly  obsessional;  (8) 
losing  flesh. 

He  was  sent  to  me  by  his  general  practitioner  after 
he  had  conferred  with  two  consultants.  I  picked  out 
(5),  (6),  and  (7)  as  the  chief  "  arcs,"  requiring  immedi- 
ate psychotherapeutic  attention,  and  in  dealing  with 
these  I  knew  I  should  also  benefit  the  dyspepsia. 
I  then  found  a  distinct  food  phobia  amongst  others, 
the  patient  being  afraid  lest  he  should  not  be  getting 
proper  nourishment  all  the  time.  Though  I  had  early 
formed  the  opinion  that  overfeeding  had  been  con- 
tributory to  arc  (4),  I  considered  that  I  ought  to  be 


iS2  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

careful  not  to  cause  any  negative  addition  to  arcs  (5), 
(6),  and  (7) ;  I  therefore  postponed  dieting  for  arc  (4) 
until  (5),  (6),  and  (7)  were  less  negative.  I  told  the 
patient  I  was  going  to  diet  him  later  on,  which  pleased 
him  greatly,  until  I  explained  that  I  should  be  obliged 
to  reduce  the  amount  of  food.  Now,  even  though  I 
had  inducted  in  the  direction  of  easy  resignation  in 
view  of  the  change,  this  did  not  operate  far  enough  to 
prevent  a  measure  of  alarm.  Letters  were  at  once  sent 
to  relatives  and  doctors,  to  the  effect  that  he  thought  he 
had  better  return  home;  he  told  them  he  was  afraid 
he  should  become  thinner,  because  I  was  going  to 
reduce  his  food.  My  answer  was  a  typewritten  page 
of  dietary  for  him,  and  a  copy  for  his  nurse-com- 
panion, with  injunctions  to  the  latter  that  she  should 
help  the  patient  to  adhere  to  it,  for  it  was  severe;  it 
brought  the  patient  down  to  about  half  the  amount 
of  food  he  had  been  taking  for  at  least  a  couple  of 
years.  I  believe  the  patient  would  have  gone  his  own 
way  and  sought  other  advice,  under  the  obsession  of 
an  added  phobia,  had  I  not  established  some  amount 
of  confidence  in  dealing  with  (5),  (6),  and  (7).  I  man- 
aged to  steady  him  over  the  added  phobia.  A  few 
weeks  went  by,  during  which  time  I  saw  that  he  was 
making  quite  good  progress  all  the  time,  and  in  every 
direction.  One  day  I  saw  that  a  tight  collar  round 
his  neck  was  likely  to  hinder  circulation;  I  therefore 
instructed  the  patient  to  get  new  shirt  neck-bands 
and  collars.  I  now  gave  instructions  that  he  should 
be  weighed,  and  found  that  he  had  gained  one  and  a 


THE  ALIMENTARY  TRACT  153 

half  stone  in  six  weeks,  to  his  own  amazement.     This 
marked  the  completion  of  his  perfect  cure. 

It  is  characteristic  of  such  cases  that  this  patient 
had  for  three  weeks  turned  a  blind  eye  to  his  improve- 
ment, owing  to  a  remaining  trace  of  fear  that  it  might 
not  be  real,  or  that  it  was  only  quite  ephemeral,  and 
would  be  followed,  perhaps,  by  a  relapse. 

The  literature  which  favours  and  confirms  my  con- 
clusions is  enormous ;  or  perhaps  I  had  better  put  it  the 
other  way,  and  observe  that  my  conclusions,  which  are 
based  on  obvious  restoration  of  vital  processes  by 
induction,  serve  to  substantiate  the  innumerable  con- 
clusions which  have  been  arrived  at  by  great  authori- 
ties. I  may  refer  the  reader  to  Professor  Keith's 
theories  as  to  the  causation  of  enterostasis  {Lancet^ 
August  21,  191 5),  a  most  valuable  and  learned  article; 
also  to  the  contribution  of  MacNiven,  of  New  York,  on 
the  emotional  influences  in  gastro-intestinal  diseases, 
as  reported  in  the  Medical  Press  of  October  31,  191/. 
On  gastro-intestinal  secretions  and  functions,  Beau- 
mont, Ridder,  Schiff,  Richet,  Rogen,  Le  Coute,  Bickel, 
Auer,  Mantegazza,  and  Kast  have  done  magnificent 
work.  MacNiven  has  drawn  from  various  conclusions 
the  following  facts : 

(i)  The  initial  flow  of  gastric  juice  is  psychic.  It  is 
brought  about  through  the  sight,  odour,  taste,  or 
chewing  or  swallowing  of  food  under  normal  condi- 
tions, whether  the  food  enters  the  stomach  or  is  side- 
tracked, as  in  sham  feeding.     (2)  The  flow  of  saliva 


154  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

and  pancreatic  secretions,  and,  to  some  extent,  of  the 
bile,  is  more  or  less  subject  to  the  same  influences  that 
govern  the  gastric  secretion.  (3)  The  flow  of  the 
digestive  secretions  may  be  modified  or  inhibited  as 
a  result  of  great  disappointment,  disgust,  fright, 
anxiety,  rage,  or  pain.  (4)  Fatigue  or  systematic 
infections  may  cause  a  temporary  or  prolonged  cessa- 
tion of  gastro-intestinal  motility.  (5)  In  the  absence 
of  appetite  or  relish  for  food,  there  is  a  diminished 
activity  of  the  secretory  glands  of  the  mouth,  stomach, 
etc.  (6)  The  factors  influencing  the  digestive  secre- 
tions may  also  modify  or  temporarily  inhibit  the 
motility  of  the  stomach  and  intestines. 

Dr.  Guthrie  Rankin  is  very  helpful  in  his  article 
entitled  "The  Highly  Strung  Nervous  System,"  in 
the  British  Medical  Journal  of  October  21,  191 6,  in 
which  he  concludes  that  "  Mucous  colitis  is  yet  another 
intestinal  derangement  which  seems  to  be  more  truly 
symptomatic  of  a  leakage  of  nerve  energy  than  of  any 
established  change  in  the  colon  itself." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HEART  AND   CIRCULATION 

In  considering  Raynaud's  disease,  "local  asphyxia," 
symmetrical  gangrene,  acroparesthesia,  angioneurotic 
oedema — diseases  which  Kinnier  Wilson  and  others 
agree  are  so  obviously  associated  with  disturbances  of 
the  sympathetic  innervation  of  the  vascular  system — 
the  reader  must  at  this  stage  of  our  study  see  that 
there  is  a  vast  field  of  usefulness  for  psychotherapy, 
not  as  something  to  turn  to  when  everything  else  has 
failed,  but  as  a  therapy  which  easily  wins  its  own  title 
to  the  front  rank  wherever  it  is  clear  that  the  nervous 
system  is  sympathetically  involved. 

My  technique  begins  by  making  the  functioning  of 
the  whole  system  easier,  through  lessening  strain  and 
abnormal  activity.  In  any  case  of  disorder  of  the 
heart's  action  the  physician  will  induct  towards  the 
subconscious  with  extra  care,  just  as  an  anaesthetist 
will  tend  to  be  more  circumspect. 

Psychotherapy  need  be  no  more  risky  when  applied 
to  any  disorder  whatsoever  than  a  simple  discussion 
between  two  people,  one  of  whom  is  "  ill."  In  neuro- 
induction  the  mind  and  body  of  the  patient  are 
brought  to  a  better  and  easier  level  of  action,  just  as 

155 


156  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

a  printing  machine  may  be  prepared,  by  certain  adjust- 
ments which  ease  it,  to  run  much  better  than  it  did 
before  it  received  experienced  attention. 

In  treating  cases  with  a  view  to  reducing  blood- 
pressure,  even  if  the  physician  begin  by  first  endeav- 
ouring to  allay  supraconscious  excitement  he  can  only 
benefit  the  patient  at  the  outset.  He  may  well  leave 
alone  the  heart  itself.  There  will  be  no  occasion  to  rush 
at  this  organ ;  it  will  be  relieved  by  indirect  influence, 
provided  the  excitement  incidental  to  the  preliminary 
interview  be  allayed  by  suitable  demeanour  and 
words  that  make  for  easy  understanding  and  acquaint- 
ance. 

Take  the  case  of  a  retired  general  officer,  aged 
seventy-two,  who  was  sent  to  me  by  his  family  medical 
practitioner,  who  had  conferred  with  a  neurologist  of 
rank.  He  suffered  from  outbursts  of  anger  on  little 
provocation,  on  which  occasions  he  developed  clonic 
and  tonic  contractions  of  the  limbs,  cind  other  nervous 
manifestations,  which  caused  alarm.  He  suffered  not 
only  from  a  high-tension  pulse,  but  from  extreme 
irregularity  of  the  heart's  action.  It  was  feared  that 
he  might  drop  dead  any  day,  and  all  walking  had 
been  stopped  by  urgent  order.  His  pulse  was 
uncountable.  He  made  rapid  progress  towards 
recovery  from  the  first  induction;  and  in  three  weeks 
he  enjoyed  walking  up-hill,  the  heart  being  perfectly 
regular,  arterial  tension  having  gone  down  to  as  near 
normal  as  a  good  deal  of  atheroma  of  the  arterial  walls 
would  allow. 


HEART  AND  CIRCULATION  157 

Respecting  auricular  fibrillation,  Dr.  Charles  H. 
Miller  has  written  a  very  interesting  article  {Lancet). 
I  should  like  to  quote  a  few  words  from  this,  as 
follows : 

"  In  the  particular  functional  disorder  we  are  deal- 
ing with  the  cause  is  only  conjectural.  Auricular 
hyperexcitability  is  provisionally  suggested  as  the 
direct  incentive  to  fibrillation  of  its  musculature. 
Neither  is  the  causa  causans  known,  though  it  has  been 
noted  that  both  gross  and  microscopical  exa.mination 
have  shown  in  the  auricular  inflammatory  and  struc- 
tural change.  In  a  few  cases  it  is  possible  that 
nervous  influences  have  been  an  important  factor.  So 
far,  no  drug  has  been  discovered  that  has  any  effect 
in  either  preventing  or  checking  fibrillation.  Not 
even  digitalis,  which  has  so  potent  an  effect  in  lessen- 
ing the  severity  of  the  associated  symptoms,  has  any 
effect  in  this  direction.  Complete  cessation  of  fibril- 
lation may  occur  independently  of  any  known  cause, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  its  onset." 

I  will  refer  to  an  actual  example,  as  severe  a  case 
as  could  ever  be  observed,  in  my  opinion.  A  man, 
twenty-seven  years  of  age,  had  been  suffering  for  some 
years  from  "failure  of  the  heart's  action,"  which  had 
gradually  become  worse;  he  suffered  from  syncope, 
and  had  fallen  down  occasionally.  He  had  been 
treated  by  many  doctors,  including  a  specialist,  and 
was  sent  to  me  because  report  had  reached  the  latter 
of  another  case  which  had  been  treated  with  success  by 
neuroinduction.  His  condition  was  approaching 
emaciation ;  his  eyes  were  sunken,  and  he  walked  with 
great  difficulty  even  with  assistance.     He  could  only 


158  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

take  very  small  quantities  of  soft  food,  dyspepsia 
being  very  severe,  while  insomnia  had  set  in  to  hasten 
on  the  end.  He  sighed  during  his  first  interview, 
telling  me  that  he  felt  every  moment  that  he  would  "  go 
down."  I  steadied  him ;  he  then  reclined  upon  a  couch. 
Momentary  palpation  indicated  that  his  pulse  was 
quite  impossible  to  count.  Naturally,  he  began  to 
improve  from  the  first  treatment.  There  were  so  many 
"negative  arcs,"  however,  that  treatments  once  a  day 
for  ten  days  were  required  before  he  could  begin  to 
smile.  In  three  weeks  he  had  gained  a  stone  in 
weight,  and  in  six  he  was  practically  normal  all  round. 
He  now  tried  some  light  gardening,  then  heavier 
exercise  of  this  nature,  with  interested  pleasure.  As  the 
weeks  went  by  he  made  no  complaint  whatever  worth 
speaking  of.  He  is  at  the  moment  of  writing  engaged 
in  heavy  artillery  work. 

I  have  treated  cases  which  have  clearly  indicated 
the  value  of  psychotherapy  in  actual  valvular  disease. 
This  should  go  without  saying.  Not  that  drugs  and 
other  hygienic  adjuvants  should  be  considered  of 
little  value;  but  it  naturally  follows  that  if  function- 
ing is  cured  by  neuroinduction  when  there  is  no  actual 
disease  this  treatment  is  at  least  likely  to  confer  some 
benefit  when  there  is  disease.  An  example  has 
already  been  given  in  the  chapter  on  "Object 
Lessons." 

Three  cases  will  close  this  chapter,  and  will  serve  to 
teach  their  own  particular  lessons  : 

A  retired  officer  of  the  Indian  Army,  aged  seventy- 


HEART  AND  CIRCULATION  159 

two,  had  become  "tottery"  and  feeble.  The  doctor 
warned  his  wife  that  he  might  fall  dead  at  any  time, 
and  that  he  should  always  be  attended  when  walking 
out,  for  his  heart  had  become  enfeebled.  Having 
developed  shakiness  of  the  hands,  dyspepsia,  and 
irritability  of  temper,  he  was  sent  to  me  for  treatment 
by  neuroinduction.  I  found  a  very  irregular  and 
intermittent  pulse.  After  three  weeks'  treatment  by 
neuroinduction  he  was  taking  walks  up  stiff  inclines 
alone.  A  few  months  later  all  "  nerviness  "  had  gone, 
and  he  became  an  enthusiastic  motorist ;  even  a  severe 
accident  did  not  upset  him  more  than  it  would  any 
average  person. 

A  schoolmaster  was  sent  to  me  by  a  neurologist, 
whose  advice  had  been  sought  by  a  leading  heart 
specialist  on  account  of  irregular  cardiac  action,  with 
dyspepsia  and  insomnia,  the  heart  being  mentioned  as 
the  chief  offender.  Everything  had  been  tried  in  the 
ordinary  way,  including  some  weeks'  rest  in  a  nursing 
home.  Three  treatments  re-established  perfect  action 
of  the  heart,  and,  incidentally,  removed  other  difficul- 
ties, so  that  the  patient  was  able  to  declare  that  "he 
had  not  felt  so  well  for  many  years." 

Mrs. ,  forty-five  years  of  age,  had  suffered  from 

psychasthenia,  with  weak  circulation,  for  two  years, 
having  had  nurses  in  constant  attendance,  day  and 
night,  for  half  this  time.  She  was  advised  to  come 
to  me  in  the  month  of  September,  but  she  declared 
that  my  services  would  be  of  no  use,  because  she  could 
not  possibly  live  through  another  winter,  as  the  cold 


i6o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

affected  her  so  much.  "  Could  I  not  go  as  far  south  as 
possible,  and  come  to  you  early  next  year  ?"  was  her 
anxious  enquiry.  I  decided  that  she  had  better  be 
treated  at  once.  In  a  month  the  nurse  was  sent  away. 
In  two  months  she  was  almost  normal.  The  first 
frosts  of  the  season  she  enjoyed,  whether  in  bed  or  out 
walking.  She  has  since  enjoyed  perfectly  normal 
health,  having  gone  through  yet  another  severe* 
winter. 


CHAPTER  IX 
PULMONARY  CONDITIONS 

Phthisis 
Nervous  coughs  are  common,  more  so  than  is  gener- 
ally imagined.  Beginning  with  a  slight  real  cough,  due 
to  the  presence  of  micro-organisms,  or  to  trivial  local 
inflammatory  sensitiveness,  the  neurotic  habit  may 
easily  be  superimposed — all  the  more  so  when  there  is 
any  fear  of  becoming  worse,  or  of  particular  conse- 
quences arising,  which  may  so  contribute  to  "  negative 
circling"  as  to  make  the  latter  powerful.  To  give 
an  example  :  (i)  Nervously  sensitive  constitution;  (2) 
slightly  run  down;  (3)  bronchial  catarrh;  (4)  cough; 
(5)  worry ;  (6)  additional  nervous  cough;  (7)  dyspeptic 
malaise;  (8)  tubercular  invasion. 

Such  a  study  of  consequences  will  persuade  us  that 
phthisis  may  often  be  of  nervous  origin.  Indeed,  the 
more  we  study  this  disease  the  more  established  will 
our  conviction  become  that  it  deserves  to  be  described 
etiologically  as  founded,  at  least  as  often  as  not, 
primarily  on  a  neurosis.  Twelve  years  ago  I  made  a 
special  study  of  phthisis  in  a  well-known  sanatorium, 
for  a  period  of  eighteen  months,  during  which  time  I 
founded  an  adjoining  establishment  for  nervous  con- 

161  n 


i62  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

editions,  so  firmly  convinced  had  I  become  that  what 
helped  the  one  order  of  disease  would  surely  be  of 
great  value  in  the  other.     The  nervous  character  of  the 
majority  of  cases  of  phthisis  was  further  borne  in  upon 
me  by  fuller  study.     I  found  the  sort  of  "circling" 
indicated  above  to  be  very  common,  and  I  have  not 
the  slightest  doubt  but  what  the  same  conclusions 
would  be  reached  were  one  to  analyse  the  patients  of 
any  sanatorium.     I  will  pick  another  case  out  of  a 
number:    (i)  Nervous  family;  (2)  worry;  (3)  cough; 
(4)  dyspepsia  (loss  of  weight) ;  (5)  loss  of  employment ; 
(6)  worried  by  relations ;  (7)  fear  of  phthisis ;  (8)  more 
cough  and  malaise  (tubercle  diagnosed).     The  reader 
himself  may  easily  find  variations  of  vicious  encircle- 
ment in  recalling  cases  he  has  known.      Instead  of 
worry  through  loss  of  employment  as  a  factor,  we  may 
have  a  wife  who  is  disappointed  in  her  husband ;  or 
the  latter  may  be  depressed  about  his  future.     In  many 
instances   a   number  of  "worry   factors"  enter  into 
action. 

Authorities  who  have  command  of  funds,  powerful 
benevolent  societies  founded  for  the  purpose  of  deal- 
ing with  the  "  great  white  scourge,"  would  do  well  to 
begin  with  a  study  of  the  psychology  of  the  con- 
sumptive. The  open-air  treatment  has  been  found 
efficacious  in  certain  instances,  as  when  sanatorium 
life  has  tended  to  correct  "  negative  arcs."  I  now  offer 
an  example  of  "  positive  circling  "  in  a  case  of  cure  : 

(i)  Brighter  hope  away  from  causes  of  worry; 
(2)  the  via  medicatrix  naturce  given  the  best  chance; 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  163 

(3)  gland  action  and  metabolism  improved ;  (4)  sleep- 
ing better;  (5)  feeling  stronger  and  gaining  weight; 
(6)  good  appetite. 

There  has  recently  been  a  discussion  on  tuberculosis 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Medical  Society  of  London.  Under 
the  heading  "Expert  Opinion  on  the  Sanatorium 
Treatment  of  Tuberculosis,"  the  British  Medical 
Journal  referred  to  the  occasion  in  these  words  : 

"The  recent  discussion  at  the  Medical  Society  of 
London  has  served  to  indicate  the  considered 
opinions  of  a  large  number  of  physicians  and  others 
who  have  had  long  practical  experience  in  dealing 
with  tuberculosis.  That  sanatorium  treatment  has 
not  as  yet  fulfilled  the  expectations  entertained  when 
it  was  instituted  has  long  since  been  obvious  to 
everyone. 

"  Neither  the  general  cure  incidence  nor  the  death- 
rate  have  been  materially  affected.  As  a  general  out- 
come of  the  discussion,  it  would  seem  that  sanatorium 
treatment  from  the  public  point  of  view  has  proved 
to  be  a  failure,  although  it  has  rendered  very  material 
service  to  individuals." 

This  might  possibly  serve  to  shake  some  people's 
faith  in  Dr.  Bodington's  simple  teachings  many 
decades  ago,  and,  indeed,  in  every  expert's  opinions 
since.  But  let  us  consider  carefully  why  sanatorium 
treatment  has  failed.  Open-air  methods  have  been 
right  to  some  extent — Bodington's  ideas  will  never  be 
anything  else  but  right — but  the  fact  is  that  sana- 
torium life  has  not  fulfilled  them ;  it  has  too  often  over- 
done them,  and  in  addition  has  defeated  its  own  goocj 
ends  in  other  respects,  having  created  an  artificial 


i64  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

environment  for  patients  in  the  mass  in  which  they 
could  not  lead  the  naturally  happy  lives  which  Boding- 
ton  meant  them  to  lead. 

As  in  the  case  of  nervous  or  mental  disorders,  for 
phthisical  people  to  herd  together,  to  see  each  other's 
plight,  to  hear  each  other's  distressing  sighs  and 
coughs,  and  to  exchange  hopeless  stories,  is  bad  for 
all;  not  to  speak  of  infection,  which  in  my  opinion 
should  be  quite  a  secondary  matter,  notwithstanding 
authorities  who  have  made  it  of  prime,  almost  of  sole 
moment.  All  but  the  obstinately  blind  and  foolish 
will  to-day  realise  that  in  order  to  cure  consumption  it 
is  not  so  much  the  bacillus  that  should  be  aimed  at  as 
the  soil.  When  the  latter  is  healthy  it  is  ipso  facto 
unfavourable  to  the  bacillL 

I  therefore  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  follow- 
ing represents  a  more  correct  etiologic  study  of  con- 
sumption : 

1.  Depressed  Spirits. — Practically  always  an  initi- 
ating factor;  absolutely  always  identifiable  as  an 
"  arc  "  in  "  vicious  circling." 

2.  Dyspepsia. — This  is  chiefly  the  result  of  depressed 
spirits. 

3.  Unhygienic  Surroundings  and  Habits. — Some- 
times  apparently  an  initiating  factor,  but  nearly 
always  a  secondary  one.  If  apparently  coincident 
with  (i),  I  have  usually  found  it  to  be  plain  that  (i)  had 
entered  first :  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  many  cases  (such 
as  those  of  athletes,  sailors,  etc.)  the  surroundings  had 
been  hygienically  excellent. 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  165 

4.  Inherited  Tendency. — This  might  be  bracketed 
with  (i),  for  in  very  many  cases  the  tendency  to 
despondency  and  to  "  take  things  to  heart "  is  clearly 
inherited.  In  a  family  with  a  bad  history  of  consump- 
tion I  found  that  it  was  the  cheerful-spirited  who  had 
survived,  and  who  had  got  well  soonest  when  attacked. 

The  above  etiology  will  help  authorities  to  realise 
why  sanatorium  treatment  has  only  to  an  extremely 
small  extent  been  successful.  Patients  who  have  been 
happy  in  sanatoria  (more  particularly  those  of  the 
poorer  classes)  have  done  well;  those  of  the  better 
classes  have  not  progressed  nearly  so  favourably, 
because  the  environment  has  not  been  so  conducive  to 
good  spirits. 

Cases  of  phthisis  arising  in  unexpected  quarters  are 
an  interesting  subject  of  study.  The  disease  is  found 
among  sailors,  soldiers,  and  athletes  often  enough  to 
make  scientists  ponder  deeply.  Many  have  found 
this  problem  insoluble,  even  to  the  present  day. 
Instances  have  been  referred  to  family  history,  or  to 
some  specially  unfortunate  chance  acquaintance  with 
a  more  virulent  type  of  bacillus;  but  usually  such 
cases  have  been  absolutely  inexplicable.  It  is  through 
a  study  of  the  neuroses,  however,  that  we  are  able  to 
approach  the  right  solution.  The  successful  athlete 
is  often  a  highly-strung  individual,  who  thinks  hard, 
and  applies  himself  to  his  work  or  hobby  most  enthusi- 
astically, diligently,  and  successfully,  but  who  is  very 
prone  to  worry  subconsciously  and  in  secret.  He  may 
be  a  good  sportsman^  ^^.y'xn^^  very  little  abput  his  feats^ 


i66  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

but  his  thinking  hard  affects  his  digestive  powers ;  he 
may  become  overwrought,  physically  and  nervously, 
and  very  rapidly  develop  "negative  arcs."  It  is  true 
that  hard  training  may  help  to  create  "  positive  arcs," 
but  it  will  also  contribute  "  negatives  "  in  certain  con- 
stitutions. Any  disappointment  after  making  special 
efforts  is  apt  to  create  a  very  powerful  "  negative  arc." 
The  British  Medical  Journal  of  May  21,  19 10,  con- 
tributes the  following  in  a  leading  article  : 

"  Dr.  Maurice  Fishberg  has  discussed  the  psy- 
chology of  the  consumptive.  He  holds  that,  exclud- 
ing nervous  disorders,  there  is  no  chronic  organic 
disease  in  which  the  psychical  control  of  the  patient 
is  a  more  essential  condition  of  successful  treatment. 
He  says  he  has  seen  many  cases  of  tuberculosis  on  the 
down  grade  in  which  improvement — indicated  by 
gain  of  weight,  recovery  of  appetite,  and  mitigation  of 
cough — followed  examination  by  a  new  physician,  who 
insisted  on  going  through  the  whole  ritual  of  physical 
examination  in  its  minutest  details,  using  the  X  rays, 
the  ophthalmis  or  cutaneous  tuberculin  test,  and  exam- 
ining the  sputum  and  urine  in  the  presence  of  the 
patient,  but  making  no  change  in  the  treatment.  The 
same  directions  that  had  already  been  given  without 
benefit  were  repeated,  but  in  different  words.  Dr. 
Fishberg  adds  that  many  consumptives  had  undoubt- 
edly been  benefited  by  the  different  kinds  of  *mind 
cures.'  ...  But  few  writers  on  tuberculosis  have 
taken  into  consideration  the  mental  state  of  the 
patient,  though  many  mention  the  importance  of  per- 
fect discipline  and  the  influence  exerted  by  the  physi- 
cian. .  .  .  The  attention  of  medical  practitioners  has 
been  called  to  the  relation  of  the  nervous  system  to 
tuberculosis  by  the  large  number  of  consumptive 
lunatics,  especially  in  asylums.     Clouston  has  stated 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  167 

that  the  death-rate  from  tuberculosis  among  the  insane 
is  three  times  that  among  the  sane  of  the  same  ages. 
.  .  .  Another  proof  of  the  influence  of  the  nervous 
factor  in  pulmonary  tuberculosis  is  the  prevalence 
among  consumptives  of  neurasthenia  and  hysteria  in 
their  various  manifestations." 

A  consulting  physician  to  a  leading  hospital  for  con- 
sumption replied  to  an  eminent  counsel  in  a  court  of 
law :  "  I  attribute  recovery  to  a  variety  of  circum- 
stances. I  have  even  known  a  very  bad  case  recover 
because  he  had  been  very  successful  in  writing  a  book." 

Asthma 

We  had  better  begin  our  study  of  this  disorder 
by  accepting  the  definition  of  Sir  Samuel  West : 
"Asthma  is  a  widespread  spasm  of  many  groups  of 
the  respiratory  muscles."  Here  we  have  a  direct 
avenue  to  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  treatment 
clearly  opened  up  for  us,  for  we  know  that  muscular 
spasms  of  all  kinds  can  be  promptly  and  successfully 
dealt  with  by  neuroinduction.  Let  us  again  accept 
the  assistance  of  this  distinguished  physician,  and 
quote  from  an  address  which  he  gave  before  the 
Medical  Society  of  London  in  191 2  : 

"  The  extraordinary  fact  about  asthma  is  the 
variety  and  multiplicity  of  causes  which  evoke  an 
attack.  Yet  the  individual  must  be  asthmatic — that 
is,  predisposed — for  the  same  irritation  which  excites 
an  attack  in  such  an  individual  will  have  no  such  effect 
in  a  normal  person.  It  is  this  underlying  predis- 
posing condition  which  is  the  essential  factor  in 
asthma.     This  cannot  be  seated  in  the  respiratory 


i68  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

centre  in  the  medulla,  but  must  be  looked  for  in 
centres  above  this,  possibly  in  the  brain  itself,  though 
we  do  not  know  where." 

After  comparing  asthma  with  epilepsy  and  pointing 
out  how  often  both  are  hereditary,  while  the  one  often 
alternates  with  the  other,  he  went  on  to  observe  : 

"  These  and  similar  considerations  lead,  necessarily 
it  would  seem,  to  the  conclusion  that  the  asthmatic 
condition  must  be  of  central  localisation,  and  that 
asthma  must  therefore  be  regarded  not  as  a  respiratory 
disease,  but  as  a  central  respiratory  neurosis." 

In  fact,  had  psychotherapy  never  been  tried  in 
asthma,  one  could  almost  visualise  an  earnestly  inquir- 
ing physician,  moving  towards  the  small  end  of  the 
network  of  evidence  by  the  sheer  process  of  plain 
exclusion  and  deduction,  the  meshes  closing  in  behind 
and  around  him,  until  out  of  the  hopelessness  of  his 
heart  he  frankly  invited  the  psychotherapist  to  see 
what  he  could  do  in  a  case  of  difficulty.  Now,  just 
what  he  can  do  is  fairly  well  illustrated  in  the  follow- 
ing case : 

Mrs.  had  been  a  martyr  for  some  years  to 

asthma.  She  had  been  in  an  attack  for  three  days  and 
nights  when  she  sent  for  the  present  writer.  Her  hus- 
band declared  she  had  "never  closed  her  eyes,  and 
had  eaten  nothing."  She  looked  a  pitiable  object.  I 
asked  the  husband  to  remain  in  the  bedroom,  for  I 
wanted  his  wife  to  rest  awhile.  I  put  the  patient's 
head  back  as  far  as  the  necessarily  strained  sitting 
posture  would  allow,  resting  it  on  heap^d-up  pillgws. 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  169 

I  then  inducted  to  relaxation,  telling  her  that  she 
would  notice  her  breathing  becoming  slower  and 
easier,  and  that  she  would  fall  into  a  comfortable  sleep. 
I  then  left  her,  after  observing  that  the  breathing  was 
already  becoming  easier.  I  afterwards  learned  that 
the  breathing  had  gradually  become  ordinary  as  she 
slipped  fari  -passu  further  into  the  recumbent  posture, 
and  that  she  had  slept  for  twelve  hours — only  being 
disturbed  now  and  again  by  a  "phlegmy  cough" — 
having  awakened  just  once,  when  she  asked  for  a 
drink  of  milk,  after  which  she  relapsed  into  a  comfort- 
able sleep  immediately.  She  had  only  one  threat  of 
uneasy  breathing  at  any  time  afterwards,  over  a  period 
of  eighteen  months  during  which  her  case  was  under 
observation.     This  cleared  up  in  a  few  minutes. 

I  have  helped  to  establish  the  fact  that  bronchiolar 
muscular  contraction  is  the  chief  factor  in  the  causa- 
tion of  asthma  attacks  :  psychotherapy  has  tended 
to  confirm  this,  for  I  have  obtained  favourable  response 
to  muscular  induction  without  making  any  appeal  to 
the  central  or  local  vaso-motor  mechanism.  But  I  am 
bound  to  add  that  it  is  not  at  all  unlikely  that  in  the 
latter  technique  muscular  relaxation  has  caused  vaso- 
motor relaxation  by  autoinduction,  or  through  some 
reflex  neurone  association,  for  there  is  a  distinct  con- 
nection between  the  respiratory,  vaso-motor,  and 
cardio-inhibitory  bulbar  centres. 

Now  I  just  want  the  reader  to  understand  that  the 
above  is  not  a  solitary  case  treated  as  if  by  magic. 
Thousands  of  people  can  be  treated  successfully  in 


I/O  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

just  the  same  way,  not  by  me,  who  could  not  take 
them,  but  by  others  who  could  easily  learn  what  to  do. 

Just  as  Sir  Samuel  West's  words,  which  I  have  cited 
above,  are  true,  so  it  is  equally  true  that  there  is  an 
instant  remedy  in  neuroinduction  when  carried  out 
efficiently.  I  do  not  care  what  may  cause  the  "  spasm 
of  many  groups  of  respiratory  muscles";  psycho- 
therapy will  relieve  it,  if  the  mind  of  the  patient  is 
sufficiently  clear,  to  an  extent  which  is  variable  accord- 
ing to  the  precise  nature  of  the  causation,  sometimes 
at  once  and  permanently,  at  other  times  after  a  few 
treatments  directed  against  various  "arcs"  of  "nega- 
tive circling." 

In  an  article  contributed  to  the  Practitioner^  Dr. 
Arthur  Latham  has  written : 

"  I  do  not  propose  to  deal  with  a  classification  of  the 
different  forms  of  the  disease,  or  to  discuss  the 
different  forms  separately.  I  wish  once  again  to  call 
attention  to  the  form  of  asthma — in  my  belief  the  form 
most  frequently  seen — in  which  the  disease  depends 
largely  upon  the  interaction  of  an  abnormally  sensitive 
nasal  mucous  membrane,  and  in  this  respect  an 
abnormally  excitable  condition  of  a  portion  of  the 
nervous  system.  Many  other  authors  have  discussed 
this  question.  I  have  nothing  new  to  add,  but  I  direct 
attention  to  it  once  more,  as  I  do  not  think  its  practical 
importance  has  as  yet  been  sufficiently  grasped." 

It  follows  that  some  cases,  though  they  may  be  at 
once  relieved  in  an  acute  attack  of  asthma,  may 
require  further  treatment  for  dyspepsia  or  worry — 
dyspepsia  caused  by  worry.  Cauterisation  of  the 
pose  is  undoubtedly  in  very  many  cases  effectual  as 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  171 

a  treatment  by  suggestion.  I  do  not  think  that  even 
surgeons  who  deal  specially  with  the  nose  will  dispute 
this  entirely. 

Psychotherapy  will  sometimes  affect  a  cure  in  cases 
of  asthma  caused  by  nasal  polypus;  nor  is  this  at  all 
to  be  wondered  at.  Francis  himself  found  that 
"  asthma  has  been  relieved,  more  or  less  permanently, 
by  cauterising  the  nose  without  touching  the  polypi." 
That  neuroinduction  will  reduce  local  sensitiveness  is 
now  a  commonplace;  we  are  prepared  to  agree  with 
Dixon,  Brodie,  and  Dundas  Grant  that  in  certain  cases 
of  asthma  "  a  most  important  reflex  is  from  the  nasal 
mucous  membrane."  Not  that  one  would  allow  for  a 
moment  that  any  polypus  should  remain  where  it  is — 
far  from  it;  the  argument  is  merely  advanced  in 
order  to  prove  the  feasibility  of  the  main  contention. 

We  may  also  read  the  further  words  of  West  with 
much  profit : 

"Inasmuch  as  the  cure  of  chronic  nasal  disease 
involves  prolonged,  tedious,  and  often  somewhat  dis- 
tressing treatment,  hesitation  may  be  felt  before  advis- 
ing patients  to  submit  to  it,  until  ordinary  methods 
have  failed — unless  the  indications  pointing  to  the 
nose  as  the  source  of  irritation  are  much  more  evident 
than  in  most  cases  they  really  are." 

Dr.  Bellingham  Smith,  in  an  article  contributed 
to  the  Practitioner^  mentions  an  interesting  point  in 
respect  of  asthma  in  children,  in  these  words  : 

"There  appears  to  be  little  doubt  that,  when  the 
attacks  are  allowed  to  persist,  the  'habit  of  them,'  if 
I  may  use  the  expression,  tends  to  become  stronger. 


172  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

This  suggests  that  each  recurrent  attack  acts  as  an 
incentive  for  another,  by  leaving  behind  a  more  easily 
excitable  or  more  unstable  nervous  centre.  Every 
effort,  therefore,  should  be  made  to  check  the  re- 
currence, or  to  lengthen  the  period  between  attacks." 

This  is  in  complete  accordance  with  my  own  views 
with  regard  to  epilepsy,  where  I  have  found  the  same 
developmental  tendency. 

As  regards  cardiac  asthma,  concerning  which  so 
much  has  been  contributed  in  debate,  I  agree  whole- 
heartedly with  my  distinguished  clinical  tutor,  the 
late  G.  A.  Gibson,  who  maintained  that  there  was  but 
one  true  asthma,  which  was  neurotic  in  origin,  and 
must  be  distinguished  from  the  dyspnoea  due  to  toxic 
causes  or  to  the  cyanosis  of  cardiac  disease,  and  who 
wrote  that — 

"Asthma  is  a  spasm  of  the  smaller  and  smallest 
bronchial  tubes,  brought  about  primarily  as  a  result 
of  neurosis.  .  .  .  Cases  of  heart  disease  in  which 
paroxysmal  dyspnoea  occurs  naturally  fall  into  two 
great  classes.  To  the  first  belong  patients  with  a 
tendency  to  cyanosis,  who,  from  the  increased  cardiac 
weakness  attendant  upon  sleep,  or  in  consequence  of 
some  peripheral  disturbance — for  example,  a  distended 
stomach — suffer  from  paroxysms  of  breathlessness." 

I  have  found  that  psychotherapy  acts  both  directly 
and  indirectly,  and  I  agree  absolutely  with  Mackenzie, 
who  has  written : 

"I  have  elsewhere  shown  that  the  most  instructive 
clinical  phenomena  are  reflex  in  their  origin,  due  to 
the  fact  that  there  is  a  nervous  relationship  between 
different  organs  and  tissues,  so  that  the  affections  of 


PULMONARY  CONDITIONS  173 

one  organ  can  be  manifested  by  phenomena  in  another 
organ  or  tissues  remote  from  the  offending  organ.  It 
is  usually  admitted  that  asthma  can  be  provoked  by 
remote  organs  stimulating  a  region  in  the  central 
nervous  system.  This  region  can  be  played  upon  by 
any  organ  that  is  capable  of  giving  rise  to  an  adequate 
stimulus,  and  there  is  no  reason  for  assuming  that 
what  many  organs  can  do  in  this  respect  the  heart 
cannot  also  do." 

Yet  those  who  support  the  vaso-motor  theory  in 
considering  the  causation  of  asthma  are  equally 
favouring  the  psychotherapist,  who  does  not  much 
care  what  theory  may  be  final  so  long  as  he  can  get 
results  which  nothing  else  can  surpass. 

When  Dr.  Francis  suggests  that  nasal  cauterisation 
for  asthma  reduces  blood-pressure,  and  thus  causes 
an  improvement,  he  employs  the  best  possible  argu- 
ment in  favour  of  psychotherapy. 

Gibson  not  only  believed  that  "  all  true  asthma  was 
neurotic,"  but  that  suggestion  might  be  helpful  in 
neurotic  patients.  He  frankly  stated  this  in  an 
address.  He  would  have  spoken  in  no  uncertain 
tones  had  he  understood  the  methods  of  suggestion 
as  they  are  explainable  to-day  by  his  former  pupil. 
Dr.  M.  Saenger  of  Magdeburg  has  also  assisted  me  in 
my  contention,  for  which  I  have  to  thank  him.  His 
opinions  are  reported  as  follows : 

"  Narrowing  bronchioles  by  reflex  action,  when  once 
it  has  occurred,  is  prone  to  occur  again,  and  so  to 
lead  to  irregular  recrudescence  of  the  trouble.  But 
the  psychical  element  has  also  to  be  reckoned  with, 
and  the  author  recognises  that  there  may  be  a  morbid 


174  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

direction  of  the  attention  of  the  patient  to  the  associa- 
tion of  symptoms,  which  may  lead  him  to  the  constant 
fear  that  the  symptoms  which  ushered  in  a  previous 
attack  are  sure  to  lead  to  another.  This  fear  is  not 
controlled  by  the  will,  and  the  object  of  a  part  of  the 
method  of  treatment  which  Dr.  Saenger  advocates  is 
to  overcome  this  want  of  will,  and  to  enable  the  patient 
to  realise  that  his  will  power  is  not  lost,  and  that  he 
can  to  some  extent  control  the  onset  of  the  malady 
by  its  exercise." 

The  worst  case  of  asthma  I  have  seen  in  my  profes- 
sional life  was  that  of  a  lady  of  title.  She  had 
suffered  for  twenty-fi.ve  years,  and  had  tried  every- 
thing, from  the  leading  consultants'  recommendations 
to  a  well-known  American  remedy  for  inhalation  which 
contained  cocaine.  She  had  reached  the  vicinity  of 
sixty  years  of  age.  Her  trouble  had  become  gradually 
worse;  she  finally  became  afraid  to  eat  anything  but 
small  amounts  of  certain  well-known  invalid  foods. 
She  was  reduced  almost  to  skin  and  bone,  and  became 
so  weak  that  it  was  not  safe  to  allow  her  to  walk 
without  assistance. 

Neuroinduction  helped  breathing,  digestion,  and 
insomnia,  and  the  patient  felt  so  safe  after  a  dozen 
treatments  that  she  became  quite  independent  of  the 
cocaine  inhalations.  She  has  remained  quite  well  for 
the  past  two  years. 

Practically  nothing  remains  to  be  written  on  the 
subject  of  hay  asthma,  after  so  many  direct  and  in- 
direct indications  in  the  foregoing  pages.  I  may 
mention  a  simple  case  which  may  interest  the  reader. 
A  youth,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  had  been  a  sufferer 


PUEMONARY  CONDITIONS  175 

for  several  years.  He  mentioned  this  fact  to  me  one 
winter,  when  quite  well.  I  told  him  to  see  me  if  an 
attack  should  be  either  threatening  or  actually 
commencing  the  following  season.  He  came  to  me.  I 
found  one  of  the  chief  exciting  causes  in  his  case  to 
be  the  effect  of  morning  sunlight  coming  through  his 
office  window,  although  he  did  not  know  that  it  had 
exercised  any  unfavourable  influence  over  him.  I 
first  tested  this  by  advising  a  change  from  this  office 
window,  which  had  a  favourable  effect  to  the  extent  of 
reducing  the  local  sensitiveness  to  normal  proportions ; 
and  he  was  not  troubled  again.  He  had  read  every 
bit  of  literature  he  could  obtain  on  the  subject,  and 
had  never  been  able  to  get  satisfactory  relief  before. 

The  worst  case  of  hay  asthma  I  ever  had  to  treat 
was  a  man  who  had  had  seven  operations  on  the  nose, 
and  who  had  never  been  capable  of  engaging  in  any 
employment,  for  his  general  health  had  always  been 
below  par.  He  presented  no  less  than  eleven  compli- 
cations. He  was  treated  by  me  in  191 5.  He  has 
never  had  another  attack  since,  and  has  since  become 
an  officer  in  the  army.  Nor  was  it  military  life  that 
cured  him;  he  was  definitely  well  before  he  offered 
himself  for  service. 


CHAPTER  X 

DISORDERS  OF  GLAND   FUNCTIONING 

It  will  be  found  that  the  quality  and  the  amount  of 
glandular  secretions  can  be  regulated  by  a  properly 
applied  neuroinduction.  This  is  the  plain  teach- 
ing of  to-day.  It  is  true  that  both  quality  and 
amount  are  controlled  by  autonomous  mechanisms, 
but  these  are  so  associated  with  central  processes 
that  under  certain  circumstances  a  very  considerable 
amount  of  control  by  suggestion  can  be  exercised. 
Neuroinduction  will,  on  the  one  hand,  help  normal 
secretion  to  take  place,  by  eliminating  or  modifying 
such  checks  as  have  come  into  play,  in  the  form  of 
mental  stresses  and  strains,  and  on  the  other  hand 
by  enabling  emotional  stimulus  to  produce  its  special 
effects. 

We  all  know  of  Pawlow's  experiments,  and  are 
thankful  for  them,  but  the  reader  has  yet  to  learn  how 
readily  most  of  the  human  glands  can  be  made  to 
respond  to  the  experienced  efforts  of  the  psycho- 
therapist. Physicians  working  on  the  lines  of  sugges- 
tion have  long  ago  concluded  that  as  the  secretion  of 
the  salivary  fluid  is  increased  by  the  mere  supracon- 
scious  appreciation  of  food,  it  should  require  very  little 

176 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    17; 

influence  to  make  the  glands  energetic  at  will ;  and 
they  found  that  certain  suggestions  yet  further  in- 
creased the  secretion  of  the  fluid.  Now,  not  content 
with  this  very  familiar  object  lesson,  I  felt  convinced 
that  other  glands  would  similarly  exhibit  increased 
activity  under  certain  circumstances.  After  working 
under  this  belief  for  some  years,  I  have  now  plenty  of 
evidence  that  practically  all  the  glands  will  respond 
to  suitable  induction. 

Kinnier  Wilson  has  made  splendid  contributions 
to  the  physiology  of  chromaphil  tissue  and  its  secre- 
tions. Those  interested  will  do  well  to  follow  the 
writings  of  such  authorities,  for  they  provide  the 
psychotherapist  with  the  bricks  and  mortar  for  his 
work;  they  serve  to  elucidate  physiological  action, 
and  help  to  make  the  subject  of  exaltation  of  central 
influences  as  a  stimulus  to  the  glandular  secretions  a 
most  fascinating  study  —  one  which  is  destined 
seriously  to  occupy  the  minds  of  scientists  in  the  future. 
I  should  not  think  of  attempting  to  belittle  such 
preparations  as  adrenalin,  which  are  interesting  and 
valuable  remedies  of  the  more  artificial  therapy,  but 
I  am  bound  to  conclude  that  before  many  years  have 
elapsed  it  will  be  generally  admitted  that  neuroinduc- 
tion  in  the  direction  of  full  natural  functioning  is  an 
even  better  means  of  accomplishing  the  end  to  be 
desired. 

I  claim,  and  am  prepared  to  prove,  that  neuroinduc- 
tion  is  to-day  the  best  of  all  treatments  for  constipation. 
Should  the  reader  doubt  this,  he  will  not  do  so  many 

12 


178  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

years  longer.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  favourable 
effect  of  suggestion  is  due  to  a  correction  of  tenseness 
or  sluggishness,  not  only  in  local  automatic  action,  but 
originating  in  some  central  "negative"  influence.  I 
am  also  of  opinion  that  improvement  in  dyspepsias 
treated  by  psychotherapy  may  be  similarly  explained. 
Nor  is  it  necessary  to  make  any  direct  verbal  reference 
to  sluggishness  in  applying  neuroinduction ;  merely 
by  securing  an  absolute  physiological  relaxation  of 
the  general  system,  psychotherapy  will  sufficiently 
relieve  abnormal  nervous  tension  to  cifford  obvious 
relief  in  many  cases.  But  the  technique  must  be 
adequate.  I  do  not  refer  to  a  simple  relaxation,  such 
as  may  be  enjoyed  by  a  person  sitting  limply  in  a 
chair  or  lying  easily  in  bed. 

Several  psychotherapists  have  obtained  favourable 
results  in  the  treatment  of  diabetes,  but  rather  by  way 
of  experimenting  than  by  the  systematic  practice  of 
a  special  technique.  Moreover,  they  have  not  applied 
a  reasoned  method.  Their  cures,  complete  or  partial, 
have  to  them  been  simply  adventitious.  In  such 
instances  I  am  of  opinion  that  mere  induction  toward 
the  subconscious — however  crude  or  old-fashioned 
may  have  been  the  method  employed — has  permitted 
restoration  to  a  better  state  of  equilibrium,  through 
relaxation  of  both  mental  and  physical  strain. 

Diabetes  I  am  bound  to  regard  as  essentially  belong- 
ing to  the  category  of  nervous  disorders.  It  is  a 
functional  disease  commonly  occurring  after  or  during 
nervous  strain,  usually  in  those  who  have  a  family 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    179 

history  of  diseases  and  disorders  begotten  of  over- 
sensitiveness.  Modern  life  seems  justly  incriminated 
for  the  production  of  conditions  favourable  to  its 
development,  particularly  among  the  well-to-do.  Jews 
are  especially  liable  to  the  disease;  after  years  of 
increasing  prosperity,  should  luxurious  living  cause 
a  permanent  strain  upon  the  internal  organs,  and 
should  anything  then  occur  to  produce  a  season  of 
great  mental  depression,  their  physiological  system  is 
liable  to  serious  functional  disorder. 

The  disease  sometimes  occurs  as  a  complication  of 
other  abnormal  conditions,  such  as  mental  disorders, 
Graves*  disease,  climacteric  disturbances,  etc.  But 
here  again  psychology  and  psychotherapy  help  us. 
We  may  be  certain  that  the  disease  is  usually  a  func- 
tional one  because  it  has  been  found  that  psycho- 
therapy is  curative — or,  at  any  rate,  is  so  sufficiently 
often  to  convince  us.  A  study  of  instances  of  spon- 
taneous cure  gave  me  some  idea  as  to  the  'results  I 
might  expect  from  treatment  by  psychotherapy.  To 
give  an  example :  A  lady  had  five  bad  attacks  in 
ten  years,  it  being  clear  that  each  was  precipitated 
by  worry ;  she  recovered  each  time  completely  as  soon 
as  the  worry  lifted,  it  having  been  obvious  to  all  who 
had  closely  observed  her  case  that  medicines  and  diet 
had  availed  but  little  in  comparison. 

I  have  come  to  look  upon  diabetes  as  presenting 
etiological  similarities  to  mucous  colitis  and  dys- 
pepsia, in  certain  respects,  all  three  being  usually  due  to 
some  sort  of  strain  which  has  upset  the  sympathetic 


i8o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

balance.  I  am  compelled  to  look  upon  neuroinduc- 
tion  as  the  treatment  par  excellence  for  these  three  dis- 
orders. I  am  quite  confident  in  my  own  mind  that 
although  diet  may  be  found  to  be  of  very  great  value 
in  diabetes,  as  in  mucous  colitis  and  dyspepsia,  never- 
theless psychotherapy  will  in  time  to  come  prove  to 
be  the  first  specific.  A  considerable  number  of 
successes  amply  prove  my  contention. 

That  Professor  Macleod  of  Cleveland  should  have 
found  evidence  which  "  led  particularly  to  the  elucida- 
tion of  the  control  by  the  splanchnic  nerves  of  the 
glycogenic  function  of  the  liver"  is  good  hearing  for 
the  psychotherapist,  who  knows  how  the  sympathetic 
system  lends  itself  to  ameliorative  induction.  Hale 
White  also  helps  us  thus  : 

"It  has  been  known  for  a  long  while  that  various 
disorders  of  the  nervous  system  will  cause  glycosuria ; 
indeed,  rather  over  thirty  years  ago  it  was  urged  by 
some  that  diabetes  was  a  disease  of  the  nervous  system. 
Instances  in  which  it  has  followed  shock  and  mental 
emotion  are  on  record,  and  it  has  been  known  by 
Cannon  and  others  that  glycosuria  appears  in  cats  if 
they  are  frightened  by  a  dog.  Glycosuria  has  been 
found  in  association  with  meningitis,  cerebral  tumours, 
and  other  organic  nervous  diseases.  It  may,  if  care- 
fully sought,  often  be  found  after  severe  concussion. 
But  most  of  these  nervous  varieties  of  glycosuria  are 
clinically  unimportant,  for  either  the  nervous  lesion 
soon  kills  or  the  glycosuria  is  slight  and  transient.  We 
know  nothing  for  certain  as  to  its  mode  of  production 
in  men,  but,  because  the  secretion  of  adrenalin  is  under 
the  control  of  the  splanchnics,  it  has  naturally  been 
suggested  that  nervous  glycosuria  is  really  adrenalin 
glycosuria,  and  for  this  there  is  strong  experimental 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    i8i 

evidence;  or  that,  as  the  cervical  sympathetic  sends 
fibres  to  the  pituitary  and  excision  of  the  superior 
cervical  ganglion  leads  to  glycosuria,  all  nervous 
glycosuria  is  really  pituitary  glycosuria ;  or  it  has  been 
thought  to  be  due  to  influences  reaching  the  liver 
through  the  nervous  system  and  leading  into  a  rapid 
transformation  of  glycogen  into  sugar.  .  .  .  Turning 
now  to  the  treatment  of  glycosuria.  The  influence  of 
the  nervous  system  is  well  exemplified  in  the  benefit 
that  follows  a  tranquil  life.  A  moderate  amount  of 
work  without  anxieties,  excitements,  or  worries  suits 
best.  I  know  a  busy  medical  man  who  suffers  from 
glycosuria  which  always  disappears  when  he  takes 
a  restful  holiday,  though  he  does  not  alter  his  diet. 
The  bad  influence  of  excitement  is  seen  not  only  in 
its  effect  on  the  sugar,  but  it  is  well  known  that  it  will 
induce  coma." 

Lecorche  held  the  opinion  that  diabetes  is  due  to 
an  "  exaggeration  "  of  the  hepatic  functions.  Seegen, 
Pavy,  and  Schiff  have  all  admitted  the  existence  of 
hepatogenous  diabetes.  Gilbert  was  of  opinion  that 
there  were  two  types  of  diabetes  caused  by  functional 
hepatic  disorders :  one  due  to  hyperhepaty,  the  other 
to  hypohepaty.  Opium  derivatives  have  long  been 
found  advantageous  in  this  disease ;  I  believe  that  this 
has  been  due  not  only  to  their  having  produced  feel- 
ings of  well-being  in  the  minds  of  patients,  but  to 
their  having  created  a  better  functional  balance  in 
strained  states  of  the  nervous  system,  through  the 
general  relaxation  induced. 

Abrams,  of  San  Francisco,  has  put  forward  a  vaso- 
motor theory  of  diabetes;  he  considers  that  we  have 
to  deal  with  a  vaso-motor  paralysis,  which  results  in 


iS2  AiDVANCED  SUGGESTION 

an  increased  supply  of  blood  to  the  liver;  he  ha^ 
referred  to  good  results  having  been  obtained  from 
vibrotherapy.  Doubtless  the  latter  served  to  ease 
tenseness  of  various  kinds,  but  possibly  largely  through 
suggestion :  I  have  found  that  no  system  lends  itself 
to  favourable  treatment  by  neuroinduction  with  more 
obviously  satisfactory  results,  both  locally  and 
generally,  than  the  vaso-motor  system. 

Some  authorities  have  demonstrated  the  existence 
of  functional  incapacity  of  the  "  islands  of  Langerhans 
of  the  pancreas"  in  diabetes.  Leonard  Hill  has 
published  his  belief  "  that  the  cause  of  the  non-utilisa- 
tion of  dextrose  is  the  absence  from  the  organism  of 
some  internal  secretion  of  the  pancreas."  MacCuUum 
and  Weichselbaum  have  pointed  out  the  great  part 
played  by  the  internal  secretion  of  the  pancreas  in 
carbohydrate  metabolism.  All  these  conclusions  I 
cannot  but  regard  as  affording  arguments  in  favour 
of  treatment  by  neuroinduction. 

I   will  now   turn   to  Graves*   disease.     Mrs.  , 

thirty-five  years  of  age,  married,  had  suffered  for 
several  years  from  enlarged  thyroid,  chiefly  on  the 
right  side,  together  with  tachycardia,  insomnia, 
exophthalmos,  headaches — also  chiefly  on  the  right 
side — and  laryngeal  cough.  She  was  thin  and 
dyspeptic.  Treatment  by  ordinary  means  had  given 
"  very  slight  improvement  at  times."  As  phthisis  was 
said  to  be  threatening — there  was  an  obstinate  bron- 
chial catarrh — ^her  condition  began  to  appear  desperate 
to  those  concerned.     As  a  last  resource  she  was  sent 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    183 

for  treatment  by  suggestion.  This  cleared  up  all 
symptoms  in  a  few  weeks,  excepting  occasional  bouts 
of  coughing  due  to  slight  remaining  dyspepsia  and 
bronchial  catarrh.  Later  the  patient  rapidly  gained 
weight  and  became,  as  her  husband  described  her, 
"a  new  woman."  Simple  analysis  revealed  an  injury 
which  she  had  once  sustained  on  the  right  side  of  the 
neck  and  face ;  this  possibly  determined  the  one-sided 
character  of  the  case.  The  thyroid  was  not  quite 
reduced  to  normal  dimensions,  but  had  become  very 
nearly  normal,  when  the  patient  felt  so  well  that 
further  treatment  was  deemed  unnecessary. 

As  to  the  technique  to  be  applied  in  exophthalmic 
goitre,  I  do  not  advise  great  attention  being  paid  at 
first  to  the  particular  gland  affected.  Not  that  I  need 
particularly  warn  the  practitioner  against  paying 
attention  to  one  part  only,  for  I  have  never  seen  any 
evil  result  from  so  doing.  I  recommend  general  treat- 
ment for  a  few  days^ — that  is,  treatment  directed 
toward  reducing  the  heart-beats,  making  the  patient 
comfortable  all  round,  restoring  sleep,  helping  the 
digestion,  steadying  the  breathing,  and  allaying  any 
tendency  to  cough.  After  this  a  little  attention  may 
be  paid  to  the  gland  in  the  way  of  gentle  palpation. 

In  myxoedema  I  have  obtained  favourable  results  in 
cases  of  many  years*  standing ;  after  general  treatment 
I  have  stimulated  the  gland  by  gentle  rubbing. 

/  do  not  yet  know  whether  the  local  palpation  of  the 
gland  is  of  any  advantage  or  not.  I  have  not  yet 
treated  a  case  without  giving  some  local  attention,  for, 


i84  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

in  natural  interest,  I  have  in  every  instance  been 
anxious  to  apply  all  likely  neuroinductive  means,  so 
that  favourable  results  might  be  quickly  obtained,  and 
I  have  not  cared  to  delay  these  results  by  any  undue 
experimenting.  But  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  it  is 
found  in  future  that  mere  suggestion  generally  applied 
so  levels  the  balance  of  polyglandular  action  that 
thyroid  activity  is  reduced  or  increased,  as  the  case 
may  be,  although  no  particular  attention  has  been 
given  to  the  gland  itself. 

Turning  to  some  of  the  literature  dealing  with 
exophthalmic  goitre,  it  has  been  pointed  out  by 
Dr.  Leonard  Guthrie  and  by  Dr.  Hector  Mackenzie 
that  fear  has  been  known  to  cause  acute  enlargement 
of  the  thyroid.  There  is  also  a  case  recorded  by 
Dr.  Brand,  in  which  he  sought  to  stimulate  the  vagus 
centre  in  the  medulla  by  applying  linimentum  iodi 
behind  snd  below  the  angle  of  the  lower  jaw.  He 
writes : 

"  As  soon  as  blistering  occurred  the  nausea  rapidly 
subsided  and  disappeared  in  a  few  days,  to  reappear, 
though  to  a  less  extent,  when  the  blistered  parts  had 
healed.  Fresh  blisters  were  induced  just  below  the 
previous  ones,  when  the  nausea  once  more  disappeared 
and  never  returned.  The  patient  was  then  able  to 
take  and  retain  food,  and  gradually  put  on  flesh.  Not 
only  was  the  nausea  removed,  but  the  pulse-rate  also 
fell  in  a  week  or  two  from  120-140  per  minute  to  80, 
soon  afterwards  becoming  normal.  This  result  may 
have  been  due  to  the  afferent  stimulation  of  the  vagus 
centre  causing  afferent  influences  .  .  .to  the  stomach 
and  heart." 


iDiSORDERS  OP  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    185 

Gibson  wrote  on  the  subject  of  emotional  causation 
and  recorded  a  case  as  follows  : 

"A  washerwoman,  while  standing  at  her  tub, 
received  a  great  fright  owing  to  the  roof  of  her  house 
falling  in  upon  her,  and  she  entered  a  ward  two  or 
three  days  later  with  pronounced  features  of  Graves* 
disease.  .  .  .  Irritations  of  mucous  membrane  of  the 
digestive,  respiratory,  renal,  and  reproductive  systems 
are  undoubtedly  causes;  when  these  conditions  are 
relieved  the  affection  is  greatly  ameliorated.  Even 
the  ardent  supporter  of  the  nervous  origin  of  the 
disease  admits  that,  although  the  structural  lesion  of 
the  functional  disturbance  of  the  thyroid  gland  is  not 
the  cause  of  all  the  symptoms,  it  must  be  recognised 
that  it  plays  an  important  part  in  the  genesis  of  a 
great  many  of  them.  On  the  other  hand,  the  keen 
adherent  of  a  purely  glandular  cause  for  the  disease  is 
forced  to  admit  that  many  of  the  symptoms  of  the 
disease,  while  primarily  due  to  thyroid  activity,  must 
be  brought  about  by  the  intervention  of  the  sympathetic 
system." 

The  very  best  of  help  that  the  psychotherapist  could 
wish  for  is  to  be  found  in  conclusions  such  as  Kinnier 
Wilson's,  that  "in  Graves'  disease  vaso-motor  irrita- 
bility is  a  cardinal  feature;"  and  Dr.  Bodley  Scott's, 
that  "we  must  look  on  Graves*  disease  as  a  pluri- 
glandular disturbance,  in  the  common  knowledge  that 
fright  causes  great  exhaustion  of  the  suprarenal 
glands ;"  and  Dr.  Stoney's,  that  "  the  thyroid  is  excited 
by  mental  stress  and  danger." 

I  have  very  good  reason  for  believing  that  many 
successes  obtained  by  the  employment  of  the  X  rays 
have  been  largely  due  to  the  suggestions  involved. 


1 86  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

When  Dr.  Hernaman- Johnson  writes,  "Some  of  the 
most  alarming  cases  yield  to  X  rays,  whereas  now  and 
then  one  of  the  more  ordinary  type  fails  to  respond," 
I  cannot  help  surmising  that  something  more  than 
the  X  rays  has  operated  in  all  these  cases ;  in  a  bad  case 
the  best  of  hopes  may  have  brightened  the  patient's 
thoughts,  while  in  a  mild  one  his  mind  may  have  been 
gloomy,  the  difference  being  due  to  environment  or 
the  varying  temperaments  of  the  patients. 

Exophthalmic  goitre  and  rheumatoid  arthritis  have 
been  found  side  by  side,  both  having  been  deemed 
by  some  authorities  to  be  the  result  of  intoxication 
from  the  alimentary  canal.  The  psychotherapist 
would  seem  to  be  equally  justified  in  thinking  that 
both  conditions  may  be  primarily  due  to  want  of 
balance  in  the  sympathetic  system,  begotten  of  some 
strain.  The  most  striking  instance  of  a  cure  of  rheu- 
matoid arthritis  that  I  ever  heard  of  resulted  from 
indirect  autosuggestion,  the  patient  being  a  military 
man  who  became  well  enough  to  go  on  active  service 
in  the  present  war. 

I  was  discussing  possibilities  with  a  distinguished 
physiologist  some  fourteen  months  ago,  when  he 
remarked :  "  I  do  not  think  you  will  be  able  to  make 
any  impression  upon  the  pituitary  gland  by  sugges- 
tion." I  replied  that  I  saw  no  reason  why  this  gland 
should  not  be  included,  for  it  seemed  that  functioning 
of  the  whole  physical  and  mental  system  could  be 
favourably  assisted  by  neuroinduction.  Shortly  after 
this  interview  a  case  of  early  dwarfism  was  sent  to 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    187 

me,  a  girl  of  nine  years  of  age.  A  consulting  physician 
Had  given  his  diagnosis  as  hypoplasia,  and  had  ex- 
pressed his  opinion  that  "nothing  more  could  be 
done  to  correct  the  abnormality."  It  had  been 
found  difficult  to  educate  her  because  "the  attention 
wandered."  She  could  not  learn  any  arithmetic.  At 
school  she  was  pronounced  "abnormal  in  mind."  I 
found  her  very  excitable,  and  unable  to  concentrate 
readily;  at  first  she  seemed  eccentric,  but  underneath 
all  this  her  answers  to  questions  indicated  every 
promise  of  a  perfectly  normal  intellect.  She  possessed 
a  larger  head  and  shorter  legs  than  the  normal,  and 
waddled  somewhat  in  her  walking.  After  three 
weeks*  treatment  by  neuroinduction  she  was  able  to 
learn  her  lessons  like  other  children;  her  excitability 
was  gone.  Her  parents  also  noticed  that  her  skin, 
which  had  previously  been  rough  and  harsh,  was  now 
soft  and  her  complexion  had  quite  changed  to  a  good 
healthy  colour.  I  gave  instructions  for  her  to  be 
measured  and  weighed  while  undergoing  treatment, 
and  every  three  weeks  afterwards.  Altogether  she  had 
sixteen  treatments,  since  which  it  is  reported  that  she 
has  been  normal  in  every  way — indeed,  unusually 
capable.  In  four  months  she  increased  in  height  more 
than  she  had  gained  in  three  and  a  half  previous  years. 
In  eight  months  she  gained  5^  inches. 

I  am  enthusiastic  in  my  recognition  of  the  magnifi- 
cent work  that  is  being  done  in  serotherapy,  vaccine 
therapy,  and  opotherapy.  I  am  bound  to  add  to  the 
proofs  of  the  efficacy  of  the  last  of  these — at  least,  in 


188  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

certain  disorders.  But  I  am  equally  alive  to  the  short- 
comings of  these  treatments;  testimony  is  plainly 
eloquent  of  instances  of  failure.  I  have  succeeded  by 
neuroinduction  in  cases  where  organotherapy  has 
previously  failed.  Moreover,  my  results  appear  to 
promise  that  neuroinduction  will  be  found  the  more 
permanent  in  its  effects,  particularly  in  many  cases  in 
which  the  initiating  psychotic  and  neurotic  factors 
tend  to  remain,  either  preventing  complete  cure  or 
acting  as  "  negative  arcs,"  which  constantly  invite 
other  "negative  arcs,"  and  which  are  therefore  like 
smouldering  embers  that  may  cause  a  fresh  con- 
flagration. Then,  again,  I  have  employed  organo- 
therapy and  neuroinduction  simultaneously,  with  most 
satisfactory  results,  in  certain  extremely  difficult  cases, 
and  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  do  so  again  if  I  think  I 
may  obtain  the  desired  results  more  rapidly  by 
employing  both. 

An  interesting  instance  of  glandular  action  is  that  of 
an  infant  fourteen  days  old  which  was  cured  of  indiges- 
tion by  the  alteration  of  its  mother's  milk.  The 
father  had  been  sent  to  me  suffering  from  phobias  and 
nervous  debility.  His  wife  and  infant  moved  from 
their  home  to  be  near  him  after  the  birth  of  the  latter. 
He  asked  me  what  should  be  done.  His  wife  was 
greatly  distressed  about  his  illness,  and  there  was  now 
very  much  trouble  about  the  infant,  which  was 
suffering  from  pain  and  frequent  vomiting.  The 
father,  who  was  an  intelligent  man,  apologising  for 
troubling  me,  asked  me  whether  I  thought  that  his 


DISORDERS  OF  GLAND  FUNCTIONING    189 

wife's  worries  were  unfavourably  affecting  her  milk. 
I  replied  that  this  was  likely  to  be  the  case.  I  offered 
to  call  and  see  the  mother.  I  felt  justified,  under  all 
the  circumstances,  in  treating  her  then  and  there  by 
suggestion,  for  worry  and  nervousness.  I  was  in- 
formed that  the  infant  had  exhibited  no  discomfort, 
and  had  ceased  vomiting  and  crying  after  the  very 
next  occasion  of  suckling,  soon  after  I  had  treated  the 
mother. 

I  may  mention  that  I  have  found  that  the  amount 
of  milk  secreted  by  a  nursing  mother  may  not  only 
be  increased  by  suggestion  while  she  is  nursing,  but 
that  if  there  has  been  insufficient  milk  during  one  or 
more  previous  nursings,  and  the  mother  is  treated  by 
suggestion  before  the  next  confinement,  there  will  on 
this  occasion  be  a  better  supply.  I  am  not  prepared 
to  say,  however,  that  this  will  occur  in  all  patients 
so  treated. 

I  have  pleasure  in  closing  this  chapter  by  quoting 
from  a  Lancet  summary  of  Professor  Pende's  opinions, 
as  expressed  in  his  book  "  Endocrinologia,"  the 
eloquent  words  :  "  The  endocrine  apparatus  is  physio- 
logically inseparable  from  the  sympathetic  nervous 
system."  The  careful  reader  of  these  present  pages 
will  draw  his  own  conclusions  as  to  the  feasibility  of 
neuroinduction  in  glandular  disorders. 


CHAPTER  XI 

STIMULANT  AND   DRUG-TAKING  TO 
EXCESS 

The  psychotherapist  will  do  well  to  bear  in  mind  the 
neurotic  factor  both  in  simple  alcoholism  and  in  dip- 
somania. An  excitable  person  belonging  to  an 
epileptic  family  may  either  be  given  to  regular  daily 
excess  or  he  may  be  a  victim  of  dipsomania,  according 
to  the  way  in  which  his  disposition  is  governed  by 
one  or  another  particular  form  of  nerve  disorder.  A 
craving  for  alcohol  may  act  as  an  "  arc "  in  neuras- 
thenia, insomnia,  or  even  phthisis,  for  that  matter.  On 
the  one  hand,  persons  fond  of  good  company  and  not 
easily  able  to  find  it  are  liable  to  develop  drinking 
habits  when  no  nervous  disorder  worth  speaking  of 
exists  in  either  patient  or  relatives,  while  on  the  other 
hand  a  dipsomaniac  of  the  most  hopeless  type  may  be 
found  in  an  extremely  quiet  and  orderly  family  in 
which  epilepsy  has  occurred  in  the  family  history. 
Some  of  the  worst  cases  may  be  found  among  persons 
suffering  from  mental  disorder,  of  a  degree  and  a  type 
which  is  clearly  distinguishable.  I  mention  these 
variations  and  conditions  chiefly  in  order  to  point  out 
the  certainty  of  obtaining  a  percentage  of  disappoint- 
ing results,  no  matter  what  the  treatment  may  be. 

190 


STIMULANT  AND  DRUG-TAKING     191 

Simple  analysis  should  always  be  carefully  con- 
ducted from  the  commencement  of  treatment  in  these 
cases,  so  that  hidden  "skeletons"  shall  not  hinder 
rapid  progress.  In  one  very  obstinate  case  I  found 
the  patient  was  kept  in  a  state  of  tension  by  chronic 
differences  with  his  wife,  which  on  principle  were  never 
discussed  with  any  third  party.  A  lady  inebriate  I 
found  to  be  suffering  from  a  lump  in  the  breast  which 
she  feared  was  a  cancer;  she  was  afraid  to  be 
examined  and  to  learn  the  worst.  Another  was 
deformed  in  the  sexual  organs.  Jealousy  because  a 
sister  had  married  was  the  fons  et  origo  of  the  evil 
habit  in  another  patient. 

Excessive  drug-taking  helps  the  psychotherapist  to 
understand  alcoholism,  and  how  to  deal  with  it.  One 
finds  the  greater  containing  the  less;  having  to 
battle  with  the  more  difficult  makes  it  much  easier  to 
deal  with  the  more  ordinary.  Morphia  and  cocaine- 
takers  are  undoubtedly  the  most  difficult  patients  to 
deal  with,  for  the  simple  reason  that  once  they  begin 
taking  these  things  they  immediately  proceed  to  make 
an  "arc"  of  greater  evil  than  any  which  already  existed 
in  their  previous  "vicious  circling,"  which  had 
demanded  solace,  namely,  a  weaker  will-power  to 
resist.  Hence  the  malignant  effect  of  these  drugs  in 
absorbing  the  victim,  as  the  nimble  spider  enmeshes 
the  fly  in  its  controlling  coils  of  web,  eventually  to 
poison  it;  their  toxic  power  making  the  reaction  of 
functional  stress  a  matter  of  regular  oscillation,  always 
just  a  little  more  powerful  in  negative  return  than  in 


192  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  gratification  of  positive  effect,  until  physical  in- 
efficiency adds  another  "  arc."  Hence  the  necessity 
felt  for  increasing  the  dose.  Nor  are  these  cases  at  all 
pleasant  to  treat;  so  much  firmness  of  resolve  is  re- 
quired, and  such  harsh  injunctions  to  the  effect  that 
suffering  must  be  endured,  such  as  sometimes  calls  for 
extremely  severe  and  sustained  contest.  I  number 
among  my  successes  some  of  the  very  worst  cases  ever 
known  to  the  physician,  and  with  all  my  heart  I  pity 
even  psychotherapists  who  have  many  cases  to  deal 
with. 

Let  me  give  an  example.  A  man's  illness  was 
diagnosed  over  a  period  of  ten  years  by  many  physi- 
cians as  neurasthenia,  mania,  dementia,  and  so  on, 
according  to  judgment  or  necessity.  He  at  length 
took  8  grains  of  morphia  a  day,  until  he  became  a 
physical  and  mental  wreck,  having  reduced  his  family 
of  sons,  daughters,  and  wife  more  or  less  to  illness 
all  round ;  he  certainly  spoiled  the  best  chances  in  life 
of  most  of  them  for  years  on  end.  It  was  reported  that 
he  had  "  killed  "  one  doctor,  had  driven  another  out 
of  practice  through  the  worry  of  his  case,  and  was 
severely  harassing  a  third  when  he  was  finally  brought 
to  me.  The  letter  of  particulars  which  preceded  him 
mentioned  three  forms  of  insanity,  from  which  I  was 
welcome  to  make  my  own  diagnostic  choice.  The 
harassed  third  doctor  himself  brought  the  patient,  and 
on  bidding  me  good-bye,  wished  me  luck,  with  the 
expletive  :   "  He's  the  devil !" 

I  found  the  patient  suffering  from  toxaemia  and 


STIMULANT  AND  DRUG-TAKING     193 

insomnia,  complicated  by  a  most  obstinate  and  deter- 
mined temper.  He  appeared  to  be  an  almost  hopeless 
case,  even  for  my  methods.  For  six  months  I  allowed 
him  morphia,  for  I  realised  that  I  must  first  devote  all 
my  efforts  towards  correcting  the  other  various  "  nega- 
tive arcs,"  some  of  which  has  led  to  his  morphia- 
taking.  After  getting  these  sufficiently  corrected,  I 
took  off  the  morphia,  gradually  reducing  it  over  a 
period  of  three  weeks.  Two  years  have  elapsed 
since  I  treated  him,  and  he  remains  in  perfect 
health. 

Another  most  difficult  case  which  passed  through 
my  hands  was  that  of  a  medical  man  of  uncommon 
ability — so  capable,  indeed,  that  his  absorbing  work 
led  him  to  take  "stuff"  which  he  had  unfortunately 
tried  as  a  student,  in  order  that  he  might  get  through 
a  harassing  period.     He  began  with  morphia,  after- 
wards adding  cocaine.     He  was  intellectual  enough 
to  realise  what  a  prisoner  he  had  made  of  himself,  and 
finding  no  chance  of  release  open  to  him,  he  contem- 
plated suicide.     Ceasing  work,  he  just  had  enough 
sense  remaining  to  ask  his  wife  to  keep  constantly  with 
him.     She  persuaded  him  to  consult  me,  as  the  result 
of  a  suggestion  of  his  own,  which  he  had  made  some 
months  previously  but  had  not  then  acted  upon  owing 
to  his  hesitation  and  obstinacy.       This  patient  was 
reading  a  paper  before  one  of  the  leading  medical 
societies  a  very  few  months  afterwards,  in   perfect 
health. 

Of  all  patients  medical  men  are  by  far  the  worst  to 

13 


194  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

treat  for  any  disorders  whatsoever;  this  for  obvious 
reasons,  the  chief  perhaps  being  their  subconscious 
objection  to  being  helped  in  any  self-governance. 

Medical  men  sometimes  take  morphia  as  a  result  of 
simple    experiment    during    student    days.       They 
imagine  that  they  will  readily  be  able  to  avoid  any 
enticements  in  future ;  but  they  too  often  find  that  they 
are  not.     Pain  is  responsible  for  the  habit  in  many 
cases.     However  strong  I  may  possibly  be  in  will- 
power,   I    would    rather    suffer    agonies    than    have 
morphia  given  me,  having  learnt  its  "  hellish  "  nature 
in  the  case  of  others ;  nor  will  I  ever  take  any  m  future 
unless  I  should  have  reason  to  believe  that  I  must 
necessarily  die  shortly,  and  that  I  must  suffer  very  great 
agonies  before  this  event — then  I  might  take  it.     A 
man  had  better  be  without  a  limb,  or  two  limbs,  than 
be  taken  prisoner  by  a  drug  for  a  term  of  years,  or  for 
life.      I    therefore    strongly    advise    all    lecturers    in 
medical  schools  to  warn  students  against  taking  such 
drugs  for  any  reason  whatsoever. 

An  uncommon  case  deserves  mentioning  for  the 
various  lessons  it  offers.  I  was  asked  by  a  leading 
neurologist  to  see  a  married  woman  who  was  suffering 
from  drug-taking,  and  I  received  the  information  that 
she  had  taken  morphia  for  some  years  and  chloroform 
for  some  weeks.  I  called  upon  her  and  found  her 
intoxicated  by  both  these  drugs.  She  was  suffering 
also  from  toxaemia,  not  produced  by  drug-taking ;  she 
was  restless,  violent,  and  demented.  I  ordered  her  to 
a  nursing  home,  and  found  removal  all  the  easier  upon 


STIMULANT  AND  DRUG-TAKING     195 

pleasantly  allowing  her  favourite  nurse  to  go  there 
also.  I  found  it  necessary  to  treat  the  nurse  first,  for 
duplicity  and  cunning ;  I  discovered  that  she  had  for 
some  time  been  bribed  by  the  patient,  and  sworn  to 
secrecy,  having  apparently  been  a  kind,  confidential 
friend  for  some  few  years.  The  patient  possessed  con- 
siderable means,  and  the  nurse  had  exercised  complete 
command  over  the  husband  and  everybody  else  in  the 
household. 

In  due  course  I  further  discovered  that  the  patient 
had  either  been  inhaling  or  otherwise  using  daily 
8  ounces  of  chloroform  for  days  together.  The 
nurse  could  not  say  exactly  how  much  had  been 
inhaled  or  swallowed,  for  the  patient  had  always  put 
her  head  under  the  bedclothing  while  taking  it.  The 
nurse  had  been  able  to  get  the  chloroform  from 
chemists  by  asking  for  a  mixture  of  chloroform  and  oil 
— half  and  half  in  an  8-ounce  bottle,  "to  rub  on  painful 
joints."  Whether  this  was  the  idea  of  the  patient  or 
nurse  did  not  transpire. 

Before  she  came  into  my  hands  all  ordinary  meals 
for  the  patient  had  been  found  impossible ;  strong  beef- 
tea  was  the  chief  food,  the  husband  declaring  that  the 
patient  had  not  been  able  to  take  anything  else  but  a 
little  of  this  every  two  hours  for  some  weeks.  Morphia 
by  injection  had  also  been  given  by  the  nurse.  The 
patient  had  been  in  the  habit  of  giving  away  valuable 
jewellery  to  any  who  pleased  her ;  she  offered  some  to 
a  new  nurse  the  first  day  she  entered  the  home.  After 
commencing  treatment  she  was  able  to  take  solid  food 


196  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

within  a  week,  and  she  soon  made  a  perfect  recovery 
as  far  as  drugs  were  concerned.  It  turned  out  that 
she  had  had  Bright's  disease,  as  an  early  "  arc " ;  this 
had  resulted  in  her  craving  for  drugs,  while  concen- 
trated beef-tea  had  fed  the  general  disorder  in  two 
ways. 

The  psychotherapist  must  make  careful  analysis  in 
case  a  patient  should  be  deceitful  as  regards  the  desire 
to  be  cured,  for  it  happens  that  just  as  loss  of  will- 
power is  a  result  of  drug-taking,  so  is  incapacity  to  tell 
the  truth.  Moreover,  the  patient  must  be  given  clearly 
to  understand  that  his  word  cannot  be  taken,  neuroin- 
duction  must,  if  possible,  be  carried  to  the  length  of 
extracting  the  truth  by  means  of  the  moral  and 
emotional  stimuli  of  suggestion. 

Tonics,  sedatives,  and  various  appropriate  kinds  of 
medicines  may  be  given  at  any  stage  of  cure,  if  it 
should  seem  that  they  are  at  all  likely  to  help  towards 
correcting  such  "  negative  arcs  "  as  may  be  complicat- 
ing the  case ;  but  these  are  not  so  likely  to  be  required 
if  the  offending  drug  be  reduced  by  degrees,  which 
procedure  I  strongly  recommend  in  all  difficult  cases, 
in  preference  to  rapid  or  instant  withdrawal. 

However  powerful  an  argument  may  appear  in 
favour  of  curing  a  morphia  or  cocaine  habit  by  this  or 
that  medicinal  means,  nothing  can  diminish  the  posi- 
tion which  neuroinduction  occupies  in  order  of  pre- 
cedence, provided  it  is  properly  carried  out.  As  an 
instrument,  it  ranks  with  the  saw  in  surgery  as 
compared  with  blisters  and  other  superficial  applica- 


STIMULANT  AND  DRUG-TAKING     19; 

tions,  even  though  the  latter  might  be  both  stimulative 
and  analgesic. 

I  offer  the  following  analysis  of  negatives  for  study, 
taken  from  a  set  of  cases  :  (i)  Highly  strung ;  (2)  diffi- 
cult thinking;  (3)  falsehood;  (4)  drug-taking;  (5)  more 
falsehood;  (6)  epileptic  sexual  impulses;  (7)  suicidal 
attempts;  (8)  dementia. 

Such  patients  are  very  difficult  to  treat  by  any 
means;  obstinacy,  suspicion,  and  mental  duplicity 
will  militate  against  the  most  careful  and  experienced 
psychotherapy.  They  sometimes  resent  control 
bitterly ;  watchful  companionship  may  only  succeed  in 
arousing  further  exercise  of  wit,  directed  on  the 
patient's  part  towards  thwarting  the  efforts  of  all 
advisers. 

Some  of  the  very  worst  cases  of  excessive  abuse  of 
stimulants  and  drugs  are  to  be  found  in  families  where 
there  is  a  clear  epileptic  history,  or  where  this  may  be 
strongly  suspected  either  from  a  tendency  to  bad 
temper,  voracious  appetite,  unusual  variations  in 
moods,  or  determination  to  masturbate. 

The  following  negative  circling  in  which  epilepsy 
came  into  the  family  history  may  be  given  by  way  of 
example:  (i)  Epileptic  temper;  (2)  occasional  vora- 
cious appetite;  (3)  dipsomania;  (4)  masturbation;  (5) 
psychasthenia ;  (6)  loss  of  weight ;  (7)  worry,  obstinacy, 
impatience;  (8)  drug-taking. 


CHAPTER  XII 
SURGICAL 

HAEMORRHOIDS 

In  daring  to  approach  the  surgical  domain  I  am 
quite  aware  that  I  shall  incur  all  sorts  of  satirical  com- 
ments on  the  part  of  certain  surgeons,  who  will  allow 
themselves  no  further  licence  than  to  take  a  desultory 
interest  in  certain  parts  of  this  book,  from  a  natural 
inclination  to  increase  their  general  information.  Some 
may  read  the  title  of  this  chapter  and  at  first  turn 
away  impatiently.  My  study  is  in  any  case  primarily 
offered  for  the  consideration  of  psychologists  and 
psychotherapists.  But  the  surgical  scientist  pure  and 
simple — leaving  aside  the  obsessed  operator,  who 
might  feel  that  he  owed  a  special  duty  to  his  particular 
cause — will  find  food  for  reflection  which  he  cannot 
fail  to  find  of  value,  in  this  chapter  as  also  in  several 
others.  Whatever  their  attitude,  I  expect  all  to  be 
good-natured  towards  my  endeavour  to  contribute  to 
the  etiology,  pathology,  and  therapy  of  some  very 
common  surgical  conditions. 

As  regards  haemorrhoids,  very  few  surgeons  would 
have  the  patience  to  consider  any  remedies  to  be 
possible    beyond    a    few    well-known    ointments,    as 

198 


SURGICAL  too 

temporary  expedients;  nearly  all  expect  these  to  be 
followed,  sooner  or  later,  through  sheer  necessity,  by 
consent  for  a  radical  operation. 

Inasmuch  as  neuroinduction  may  be  employed,  not 
only  in  order  to  produce  very  considerable  alteration 
in  the  circulation,  both  local  and  general,  but  as  the 
very  first  treatment  of  all  for  correcting  habitual  con- 
stipation, we  have  in  this  method  a  means  of  prevent- 
ing and  curing  haemorrhoids  which  nothing  can  excel. 
A  large  number  of  cases  serve  to  illustrate  this,  not 
only  in  my  experience,  but  in  that  of  several  other 
practitioners  employing  psychotherapy  in  one  form  or 
another.  It  is  true  that  others  have  published  their 
experiences  in  respect  of  constipation  rather  than 
haemorrhoids;  but  I  have  no  doubt  whatever  that 
where  they  have  cured  the  former  they  have  also  bene- 
fited and  usually  cured  the  latter  when  these  have 
been  present. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  a  case  of  prolapsus  ani,  in  a  child 
two  and  a  half  years  of  age,  whose  mother  had  tried 
everything  that  medical  advisers  could  suggest, 
including  a  diet  of  fruit  and  vegetables  only,  for  some 
weeks  in  succession,  in  order  to  relieve  the  constipa- 
tion, but  without  success ;  until  at  length  a  surgeon  pro- 
posed to  take  away  a  portion  of  the  bowel.  A  friend 
of  the  mother  urged  that  other  advice  should  be 
sought,  for  she  had  heard  of  some  "  wonderful  cures  " 
of  constipation.  After  the  mother  had  communicated 
with  the  surgeon  the  child  was  brought  to  me.  As  it 
lay  in  its  mother's  arms  I  elicited  its  attention  first  by 


200  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

means  of  toys,  after  which  I  had  no  difficulty  in 
employing-  neuroinduction.  I  established  a  sense  of 
freedom  of  the  abdomen  by  means  of  palpation,  while 
at  the  same  time  I  spoke  a  few  words,  which  I  specially 
selected  as  being  suitable  to  a  child.  The  result  was 
that  an  easy  natural  movement  occurred  within  a  few 
hours,  with  no  prolapse;  nor  has  any  trouble  been 
experienced  since.  Previous  to  this  the  distress  on 
each  attempt  at  evacuation  had  been  so  great  that  the 
mother  began  to  experience  great  difficulty  in  getting 
the  child  to  entertain  the  idea  of  making  any  effort  at 
all,  or  even  to  go  near  any  "  convenience." 

In  the  case  of  a  man,  forty-four  years  of  age,  haemor- 
rhoids had  become  so  severe  that  there  was  prolapse  of 
an  enormous  collection  of  haemorrhoids  each  time  the 
bowels  were  moved,  making  it  necessary  for  the  patient 
to  go  to  bed  so  that  hot  applications  and  pressure 
might  be  applied  in  order  to  allow  the  parts  to  recover 
as  far  as  they  could.  His  brother  having  unfortun- 
ately died  from  an  operation,  the  patient  had  declined 
to  undergo  this  ordeal  himself;  had  it  not  been  for 
this,  I  should  probably  not  have  seen  the  case.  Treat- 
ment by  subconscious  induction  completely  cured  both 
constipation  and  haemorrhoids. 

Varicose  Veins 

The  results  of  treatment  by  neuroinduction  of  many 
cases  of  nervous  disorder,  in  which  varicose  veins  have 
been  a  complication,  have  been  quite  sufficient  to  indi- 


SURGICAL  201 

Cate  that  in  this  method  we  have  a  valuable  means  of 
preparing  some  of  the  worst  cases  for  operation,  to  say 
the  least  of  it.  An  instance  of  oedema  of  a  whole 
limb  and  the  lower  abdomen  has  been  referred  to  in 
another  connection. 

Where  the  veins  have  been  so  long  distended  that 
any  involution  of  a  vis  naturce  order  is  impossible, 
there  being  no  power  of  resiliency  left,  making  surgical 
operation  the  only  possible  remaining  procedure,  a 
limb  which  has  become  vascularly  weak  generally 
may  be  treated  by  neuroinduction  with  the  very  great- 
est benefit.  Neuroinduction  will  also  render  vari- 
cosity less  prone  to  occur  in  other  places. 

I  hope  the  reader  will  not  consider  that  I  am  advo- 
cating a  measure  in  an  overenthusiastic  spirit;  it 
would  matter  very  little  to  me  if  I  never  saw  another 
case  of  varicose  veins.  There  is  a  field  for  my  work 
which  is  much  too  big  for  me  as  it  is,  without  going 
anything  like  so  far  afield  as  this.  I  feel  bound, 
however,  to  make  use  of  extensive  experience  and 
deep  convictions  which  serve  to  give  support  to  my 
main  contentions.  "Why  cannot  he  leave  surgery 
alone  ?  He  wants  everything  !"  I  can  hear  the  biassed 
critic  remark,  with  an  impatience  which  naturally  dis- 
likes things  that  savour  of  universality,  when  it  is 
perhaps  difficult  enough  to  find  promising  cases  for 
the  exhibition  of  surgical  skill.  I  am  very  sorry  if  I 
offend  anyone,  but  I  must  run  risks  as  well  as  other 
people  who  have  struck  a  successful  scientific  vein. 
However,  I  am  really  hopeful  for  the  best.     I  venture 


202  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

to   think   that   good-hearted   surgeons   will  not  too 
witheringly  taboo  me. 


Inflammations  and  GEdemas 

A  clergyman,  fifty-five  years  of  age,  fell  and  hurt  his 
knee.  A  surgeon  was  called  to  attend  him  on  account 
of  pain,  swelling,  and  inflammation.  Local  applica- 
tions and  confinement  to  bed  were  ordered,  the  patient 
remaining  in  bed  for  six  weeks.  As  nothing  but  the 
ecchymosis  had  gone  during  this  period,  in  spite  of 
the  constitutional  treatment  which  had  been  employed 
during  three  of  these  weeks,  under  the  impression  that 
a  rheumatic  or  gouty  diathesis  was  at  the  bottom  of 
the  obstinacy,  the  patient  was  ordered  out  of  bed. 
But  he  could  not  walk.  He  was  then  sent  to  me.  The 
swelling  so  subsided  the  day  following  the  first  treat- 
ment by  neuroinduction  that  he  could  walk  quite 
freely,  and  in  a  few  days  he  was  perfectly  well. 

Cases  of  angioneurotic  oedema  do  well  under  neuro- 
induction, of  course,  but  so  also  do  all  swellings 
which  are  not  due  to  organic  disease  of  the  limbs  or 
organs,  especially  those  which  are  merely  the  result  of 
local  vascular  sensitiveness,  lymphatic  or  sanguineous. 
Even  local  inflammation  from  injury  can  be  reduced 
as  quickly  by  neuroinduction  as  by  any  other  means — 
and  sometimes  more  quickly. 


SURGICAL  203 

Surgical  Operations  in  Contractures  And 
OTHER  Neurotic  Cases 

I  do  not  think  that  even  surgeons  would  deny  that 
many  hysterical  contractures  have  been  surgically 
operated  on,  especially  in  cases  of  long  standing.  I 
have  known  such  cases.  I  have  been  obliged  to  agree 
that  such  operations  have  been  justifiable  when  a 
sufficiently  advanced  psychotherapy  has  not  been 
available^  in  days  gone  by.  I  am  thinking  at  the 
moment  of  a  patient  who  was  operated  on  by  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  surgeons  of  the  day.  A  5 -inch 
incision  was  made  just  through  the  skin  over  the 
abdomen — and  no  more.  The  wound  was  sewn  up. 
This  completely  cured  the  patient.  She  was  hysterical, 
and  would  not  believe  that  there  was  nothing  seriously 
wrong  in  the  region  where  she  complained  of  pain. 
The  surgeon  operated  to  prove  his  diagnosis  as  well 
as  to  cure  the  patient.  Such  instances  are  too  well 
known  to  be  worth  more  than  passing  reference. 

I  am  of  opinion  that  nine-tenths  of  all  the  successes 
which  bone-setters  obtain  are  due  to  suggestion.  Dr. 
Mott  and  others  have  found  that  suggestion  by  words 
spoken  is  more  efficacious,  when  dealing  with  nerve- 
shock  cases,  if  the  patient  is  partially  anaesthetised. 
One  of  the  most  successful  bone-setters  has  long  made 
a  similar  practice  (see  Medical  Press  and  Circular, 
1917,  "Bone-setters  and  their  Work,"  by  the  present 
writer). 


CHAPTER  XIII 
SKIN    DISORDERS 

Inflammation  has  been  defined  by  a  great  authority 
as — 

"The  reaction  of  irritated  and  damaged  tissues 
which  still  retain  vitality,  or  a  series  of  vital  changes 
which  occur  in  the  tissues  in  response  to  irritation. 
The  irritants  are  either  non-infective  or  infective ;  the 
former  comprising  mechanical,  electrical,  chemical,  and 
thermal  agents,  and  such  things  as  X  rays,  etc. ;  the 
latter  including  the  micro-organisms." 

Erythema  is  defined  as  "A  morbid  redness  of  the 
skin  due  to  congestion  of  the  capillaries,  of  many 
varieties."  Now,  as  the  vaso-motor  effect  of  neuro- 
induction  is  practically  the  same,  no  matter  what  may 
be  the  variety  of  superficial  congestion,  we  need  waste 
no  further  time  in  discussing  any  pathological  defini- 
tions; it  is  enough  merely  to  mention  some  of  them. 
Let  us  study  a  few  interesting  cases,  the  lessons  from 
them  being  extremely  important,  from  every  point  of 
view : 

Miss ,  twenty-five  years  of  age,  had  been  suffer- 
ing for  some  years  from  dementia  praecox.  The  diag- 
nosis was  sent  to  me  with  the  patient,  and  I  had  no 

204 


SKIN  DISORDERS  205 

reason  whatever  to  question  it.  She  exhibited  stigmata 
of  degeneration,  with  facial  asymmetry.  Among  her 
negative  arcs  was  Hability  to  severe  herpes  of  the  lips 
whenever  she  was  more  than  commonly  worried  about 
anything;  this  had  troubled  her  for  three  years.  I 
have  a  secondary  purpose  in  giving  just  a  few  words 
of  her  history ;  this  explains  how  I  came  to  study  her 
skin  disorder.  The  fact  that  eruption  followed 
unusual  worry  interested  me.  On  its  reappearance 
upon  the  lower  lip,  I  gently  manipulated  the  eruption 
under  general  neuroinduction.  It  began  to  retrogress 
at  once.  By  at  once,  I  mean  that  in  an  hour  the 
patient  felt  less  pain.  The  following  morning  there 
was  less  swelling,  and  an  obvious  appearance  of  retro- 
gression, which  continued  until  the  cure  was  completed 
a  few  days  later.  A  few  weeks  afterwards  further 
worry,  caused  by  letters  from  home,  brought  out  a  crop 
upon  the  upper  lip.  This  was  treated  in  the  same  way, 
and  with  the  same  effect.  Then  an  unusually  long 
time  elapsed  before  any  other  attack  occurred,  though 
sufficient  worries  had  been  undergone,  which  made  me 
think  that  the  tendency  had  gone.  Now  there 
occurred  what  seemed  to  me  a  remarkable  thing;  a 
day  of  extra  worry  was  followed  by  two  patches  of 
herpes,  one  on  either  side  of  the  mouth,  just  below 
and  rather  outside  the  angles,  which  had  apparently 
been  unable  to  form  in  situations  which  had  previously 
been  favourable.  The  treatment  for  these  resulted  in 
total  clearance  and  non-recurrence,  since  when  the 
herpes    made    no    further    appearance,    observation 


2o6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

having  been  kept  up  for  eighteen  months  personally, 
while  for  another  twelve  months  information  Was  given 
me  to  the  effect  that  there  had  been  no  recurrence. 

I  have  had  so  many  cases  of  urticaria  of  a  severe 
character  and  of  long  standing  which  have  been 
readily  and  completely  cured  by  neuroinduction,  that 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  declaring  the  treatment  to  be 
specific  par  excellence.  As  to  whether  the  check  to  the 
urticaria  be  always  independent  of  any  alterations  for 
the  better  in  gastro-intestinal  functioning,  I  am  not 
prepared  at  the  moment  to  give  conclusive  evidence, 
for  general  subconscious  induction  will  always  be 
likely  to  influence  the  latter  appreciably,  although 
especially  directed  toward  correcting  the  former. 
Again,  both  direct  and  indirect  results  may  be  to  some 
extent  due  to  vaso-motor  effects.  If  I  am  to  judge 
from  the  case  of  herpes  referred  to,  it  would  seem  likely 
that  there  need  not  be  any  effect  upon  metabolism  or 
toxaemia  for  favourable  results  to  be  obtained,  although 
in  three  patients  treated  in  whom  urticaria  had  been  a 
prominent  trouble,  among  other  signs  and  symptoms 
of  a  neurotic  nature,  and  in  which  I  had  urgent  occa- 
sion to  deal  with  psychasthenia  first,  I  found  the 
tendency  to  urticaria  getting  less  as  I  proceeded,  until 
it  vanished  altogether,  without  requiring  any  refer- 
ence to  it  or  any  attention  whatsoever. 

F.  B.  Jefferies,  F.R.C.S.,  has  written  : 

"  The  causation  and  etiology  of  herpes  being  some- 
what obscure  and  theoretical,  the  following  case  may 
be  of  interest.     I  was  asked  to  see  a  woman,  aged  fifty- 


SKIN  DISORDERS  207 

three,  who  was  complaining  of  a  rash  on  the  arm.  On 
examination  she  had  a  typical  eruption  of  herpes  on 
the  left  arm  extending  from  the  wrist  upwards  along 
the  inner  side  of  the  forearm,  arm,  and  extending  on 
to  the  chest  and  back.  The  eruption  on  the  arm 
follows  the  line  of  the  internal  cutaneous  nerve ;  on  the 
left  side  of  the  chest  it  is  scattered  but  profuse,  and  also 
on  the  scapular  region.  The  patient  is  a  very 
'  nervous '  subject,  and  the  interesting  point  in  the  case 
is  this  :  three  days  before  she  felt  the  pain  which  pre- 
ceded the  appearance  of  the  eruption  a  mouse  ran  up 
her  left  sleeve  into  her  axilla,  and  was  only  liberated 
by  her  daughter  unfastening  her  blouse  at  the  back. 
The  patient  was  always  terrified  of  a  mouse.  I  know 
her  statement  about  the  mouse  is  correct,  for  her 
daughter  and  her  husband  witnessed  the  occurrence." 

Herpes  and  urticaria  are  both,  without  a  doubt, 
vaso-motor  neuroses — at  least,  in  many  instances  this 
is  clear.  G astro-intestinal  treatment  may  or  may  not 
help.  By  getting  favourable  effects  from  any  ordinary 
gastro-intestinal  therapy  we  should  only  obtain  evi-^ 
dence  that  under  certain  circumstances  the  soil  had 
been  favourable  for  vaso-motor  neuroses — that  is  all.. 
Moreover,  local  micro-organisms  may  be  discounted,  in 
these  as  in  many  other  skin  diseases,  provided  the 
vaso-motor  factor  in  etiology  is  dealt  with  effectively.. 

That  certain  skin  eruptions  may  suddenly  spring  up 
for  apparently  no  reason  whatever,  while  others  may 
disappear  with  still  more  astonishing  promptitude,  is 
a  fact  which  every  experienced  doctor  has  either 
observed  or  heard  of  since  medicine  became  a  serious 
professional  calling.  Such  examples  impress  upon  us, 
the  importance  of  forming  a  proper  estimate  qi  th^; 


2o8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

neurotic  factor,  whatever  amount  of  respect  organisms 
and  soils  may  claim. 

In  such  disorders  as  chicken-pox,  herpes,  and 
urticaria,  it  would  seem  that  there  is  a  soil  which 
favours  a  local  outburst  at  certain  points  where  the 
vaso-motor  control  happens,  for  some  reason  or 
another,  to  be  weakest.  When  the  vaso-motor  tone  is 
raised  by  subconscious  induction  retrogression  takes 
place.  We  may  see  these  things  take  place  in  the  case 
of  other  pathological  puzzles,  and  in  various  neurotic 
systems.  Just  why  certain  small  places  in  the  skin 
should  be  weakest  may  not  be  clear. 

I  have  proved  the  favourable  effect  of  psychotherapy 
in  certain  eczemas,  having  had  instances  of  outbreaks 
which  have  for  years  been  recurrent,  but  which  have 
promptly  yielded  to  neuroinduction,  just  as  the  herpes 
did  in  the  case  cited  above,  with  this  exception,  that 
in  some  cases  I  have  not  effected  any  local  palpation 
whatever,  having  merely  depended  upon  the  general 
relaxation  of  induction  by  words  spoken.  But  cases 
of  the  spontaneous  cure  of  many  skin  diseases  consti- 
tute a  more  eloquent  plea  for  my  theory  than  could 
anything  else.  W.  B.  writes  to  the  British  Medical 
Journal: 

"  I  think  my  experience  may  be  helpful.  A  patient 
was  sent  to  me  for  CO 3  snow  treatment.  There  were 
patches  on  each  wrist,  about  the  size  of  a  sixpence, 
that  he  wanted  particularly  removed,  as  they  were  so 
unsightly.  One  application  for  thirty  seconds  of  COg 
effected  a  perfect  cure  in  three  weeks,  leaving  a  faint 
blush  on  the  new  skin ;  but,  to  the  surprise  and  delight 


SKIN  DISORDERS  209 

of  the  patient,  in  about  another  fortnight  his  whole 
body,  which  was  really  covered  with  psoriasis  when  I 
first  saw  him,  was  quite  free  from  any  trace  of  the 
disease.  The  patient's  explanation  was  that  I  fright- 
ened it  away ;  and  that  may  be  true,  in  this  way  :  he 
was  greatly  run  down,  depressed,  and  disappointed 
at  the  failure  in  the  prolonged  and  drastic  attempt  of 
several  specialists.  Everything  had  been  tried  out- 
side and  inside,  including  thyroid  extract  (which 
nearly  killed  him),  and  a  prolonged  change  at  Bourne- 
mouth. He  complained  very  much  of  pain,  both  in 
the  freezing  and  thawing  stages  of  the  COg  treatment, 
which  is  very  unusual,  and  he  anxiously  inquired  if  I 
intended  applying  this  all  over  his  body,  as  he  would 
not  be  able  to  stand  it.  I  said  I  might  do  it  piecemeal 
later.  This  evidently  so  frightened  him  that  the 
psoriasis  of  over  twelve  months'  duration  completely 
disappeared  in  these  few  weeks.  This  I  consider  a 
splendid  example  of  the  influence  of  his  mind  over  the 
body,  and  I  think  over  such  an  intractable  case  as 
*Senex'  describes.  Suggestive  treatment,  with  or 
without  CO2  snow,  for  the  lupus  erythematosus  on  the 
face  would  be  attended  with  the  happiest  results." 

Skin  diseases  are  not  by  any  means  always  easy  to 
treat  by  neuroinduction.  This  may  well  be  imagined. 
Now  and  again  there  is  a  submerged  trauma  that 
requires  thought  analysis,  as  the  following  unique  case 
will  serve  to  illustrate :  A  maji,  aged  forty-three,  had 
suffered  from  pemphigus  for  some  twenty  years,  his 
case  having  been  diagnosed  and  treated  by  many 
specialists,  including  "the  very  highest  in  the  land.'* 
His  condition  gradually  grew  so  bad  that  walking  was 
extremely  difficult.  Sometimes  the  extent  of  the  erup- 
tion necessitated  his  confinement  to  bed.     He  was 

14 


210  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

even  unable  to  touch  anything  with  his  hands  without 
raising  large  blisters — he  could  not  even  touch  the 
handles  of  doors.  At  times  the  blisters  occurred  quite 
acutely  "all  over  the  body."  A  worse  case  could 
surely  never  be  seen,  to  be  living  at  all.  He  was  sent 
to  me,  this  time  by  a  layman,  by  the  way,  a  solicitor 
who  had  once  been  in  my  hands  professionally,  and 
who  had  become  acquainted  with  the  patient  in  his 
professional  dealings — a  prominent  man  in  medico- 
legal cases.  But,  indeed,  any  layman  might  be 
excused  for  such  a  recommendation,  for  could  you 
picture  a  skin  specialist  of  rank  and  title  sending  such 
a  case  to  any  psychotherapist !  The  suggestion 
would  have  sounded  too  ridiculous  for  words  in  the 
days  before  this  book  was  published. 

The  patient  was  a  downcast  wreck,  suffering 
unspeakably,  only  just  able  to  walk  in  specially  made 
large  list  boots,  in  which  were  very  thickly  padded 
socks,  and  so  weak  that  he  required  steadying.  His 
face  and  hands  were  blebbed  and  scaly,  hardly  two 
square  inches  of  his  whole  body  being  free  from  signs 
of  old  and  new  eruptions,  his  forehead  and  neck  being* 
rather  less  attacked  than  other  regions.  His  mouth 
and  throat  were  raw  in  large  patches,  the  lips  being  so 
covered  that  he  could  not  speak  distinctly.  His  latest 
difficulty  for  many  weeks  had  been  in  swallowing;  he 
had  been  reduced  to  eating  soft  farinaceous  things, 
making  here  and  there  a  slight  departure.  Sometimes 
for  a  whole  day  he  could  swallow  nothing  whatever. 
One  of  his  eyes  was  blinded  and  badly  inflamed,  there 


SKIN  DISORDERS  ^n 

being  even  corneal  and  sclerotic  blebs.  He  held  his 
hands  away  from  him  lest  they  should  come  in  contact 
with  anything.  Helpless  as  a  child,  he  pointed  to 
evidences  of  accidental  touchings.  Insomnia  had 
entered  the  vicious  circle,  while  constipation  with  very 
severe  haemorrhoids  had  become  so  bad  that  he 
dreaded  movements  of  the  bowels  as  one  would  a 
repetition  of  the  rack.  Surgeons  had  refused  to 
operate  on  him. 

It  had  long  been  agreed  by  consulting  physicians 
that  there  might  be  something  neurotic  about  this  case. 
On  commencing  treatment,  I  proceeded  at  the  same 
time  to  analyse  for  suppressed  traumata.  Inquiry 
went  right  back  to  five  years  of  age.  He  now  recol- 
lected that  at  this  age  he  had  accidentally  swallowed 
some  strong  acid.  This  caused  ulceration  in  his 
throat  and  mouth,  making  it  extremely  painful  for  him 
to  swallow.  I  felt  entitled  to  conclude  that  the  shock 
from  this  occurrence  had  acted  as  a  trauma,  making 
the  patient  susceptible  to  everything  likely  to  injure 
the  skin,  for  he  remembered  that  soon  afterwards  bullae 
began  to  appear  about  the  face;  later  they  became 
wider  in  their  distribution  and  of  more  frequent  occur- 
rence. The  patient  explained  that  he  had  never  been 
nervous  in  the  ordinary  sense;  others  who  knew  him 
agreed.  Indeed,  on  first  seeing  me  he  really  did  not 
seem  afraid  of  his  condition ;  he  was  merely  depressed 
and  dejected.  He  was  anxious  not  to  get  worse,  much 
as  a  phthisical  patient  is  sometimes  afraid  of  catching 
cold ;  there  seemed  in  him  a  sort  of  sfes  when  I  made 


212  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

any  remark  of  a  cheerful  nature,  which  I  could  see 
would  enable  him  to  smile  if  his  sore  face  and  mouth 
would  have  allowed  him. 

Two  days  after  the  first  neuroinduction  his  hands 
showed  signs  of  very  slight  improvement.  In  a  week 
he  said  the  pain  from  the  haemorrhoids  had  very  much 
lessened,  the  stools  being  easier.  In  ten  days'  time 
his  taste  was  restored,  after  many  years'  abeyance,  and 
he  began  to  swallow  food  much  more  readily.  I  knew 
from  these  indications  that,  unless  some  unfortunate 
adventitious  "arc"  should  enter  the  "negative 
circling,"  as  from  financial  worry  or  from  any  regional 
exacerbation  following  some  departure  in  diet — 
which  might  very  well  occur  with  such  an  extreme 
state  of  affairs  all  round — he  would  get  completely 
well. 

Manipulation  was  for  the  first  few  days  deemed  in- 
advisable, for  fear  of  adding  to  "  negative  circling  "  at 
the  very  beginning  of  treatment.  I  blew  upon  his 
hands  instead,  suggesting  coolness.  In  a  few  days 
palpation  was  quite  safe.  He  became  so  well  that 
further  treatment  was  unnecessary. 

I  would  warn  the  reader  against  running  any  risks 
of  making  a  big  "positive  arc"  too  early  in  a  very 
grave  case.  That  way  failure  may  lie ;  for  should  an 
additional "  negative  "  be  obtained,  or  a  slight  advance 
occur  in  the  disease,  quite  irrespective  of  any  treatment 
whatsoever,  which  is  conceivable,  then  retrogression 
might  never  take  place,  on  account  of  the  powerful  auto- 
suggestion  which   might   be   engendered    while   the 


SKIN  DISORDERS  213 

patient  was  so  much  hoping  for  and  expecting 
improvement. 

General  and  local  hyperhidrosis  has  always  caused 
dermatologists  infinite  trouble,  as  is  so  eloquently 
indicated  by  measures  they  have  advocated  by  way  of 
treatment.  X  rays  have  lately  been  favoured  by 
Howard  Pirie,  who  found  drugs  useless;  while  Koli- 
pinski  has  been  drastic  enough  to  use  the  thermo- 
cautery in  the  axillae,  even  producing  "burns  of  the 
second  and  third  degree."  Major  Porter  has  gone 
even  further,  having  recommended  dissecting  away 
the  skin  of  the  axillae. 

Sufferers  from  hyperhidrosis  are  always  nervous 
people.  The  disorder  is  like  blushing,  in  this  respect, 
that  a  patient's  consciousness  of  the  liability  to  it 
makes  the  trouble  all  the  worse.  I  have  probably  seen 
some  of  the  worst  cases  ever  known,  such  as  a  girl 
who  developed  patches  of  eczema  from  the  axillae  down 
to  the  hips  on  each  side,  7  to  8  inches  wide  for  the 
upper  half  of  the  area.  She  had  to  go  to  bed,  and  was 
there  treated  locally  and  generally  for  many  months 
before  she  was  sent  to  me.  Another  patient  treated 
successfully  by  psychotherapy  had  also  been  confined 
to  bed,  the  arms  having  to  be  kept  away  from  the  sides, 
so  that  the  cool  air  might  help  to  prevent  sweating. 
Neither  of  these  patients  was  over  the  normal  weight. 
Many  patients  have  found  it  necessary  to  change  their 
clothing  several  times  a  day,  through  hyperhidrosis 
of  the  axillary  regions.  The  success  with  X  rays  in  the 
hands  of  Dr.  Howard  Pirie  has  been  so  great  that  I 


214  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

really  cannot  find  myself  able  to  beat  his  records  by 
psychotherapy,  unless  I  might  mention  that  in  my 
cures  I  have  also  had  to  contend  with  serious  condi- 
tions in  which  skin  disorder  has  been  a  secondary 
feature.  I  have  had  no  simple  cases  in  which  other 
more  serious  complications  have  not  been  present. 

As  to  pruritus,  I  must  again  bring  a  friend  to  my 
assistance.  I  am  fond  of  getting  others  to  support  my 
contentions;  this  may  be  pardonable  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, considering  the  risks  and  dangers  of 
travelling  in  scientific  regions  where  so  few  have  ven- 
tured, and  where  the  reputations  of  some  have  met 
with  an  untimely  end.  I  find  Dr.  Bunch  particularly 
interesting  in  his  Lancet  article  concerning  "Itching 
Diseases  of  the  Skin,"  as  follows  : 

"Primary  pruritus  is  a  functional  affection  of  the 
skin,  the  sole  symptom  of  which  is  the  subjective 
sensation  of  itching.  The  skin  appears  healthy  and 
shows  no  pathological  changes  to  which  we  can  point 
as  a  cause  for  the  irritation.  Such  pruritus  occurs  in 
neurasthenia,  chorea,  and  excessive  emotion,  and  may 
perhaps  be  ascribed  to  an  over-excitability  of  the 
special  end  organs  in  the  skin,  if  not  to  an  ill-defined 
auto-intoxication." 

It  is  interesting  to  cogitate  quietly  over  the  path- 
ology of  such  disorders  as  eczema,  psoriasis,  herpes, 
pemphigus,  and  for  that  matter  several  other  skin 
diseases,  in  the  light  of  the  effects  of  various  forms  of 
treatment.  I  would  gently  and  apologetically  ask : 
Is  there  any   "suggestion"   operating  when  X   ray 


SKIN  DISORDERS  215 

applications  are  successful  ?  I  also  ask  this  question 
in  another  connection  in  a  later  chapter. 

I  have  experimented  on  a  case  of  local  "  poisoning  " 
from  handling  primulas,  just  before  the  patient  was 
arranging  to  go  to  a  skin  specialist,  and  I  obtained 
quite  a  marked  improvement  both  as  regards  pruritus, 
erythema,  and  swelling ;  but  not  wishing  to  deprive  the 
patient  of  the  benefit  of  well-tried  and  proved 
remedies,  I  encouraged  her  to  visit  the  specialist.  The 
dermatologist  told  the  patient  that  the  eczematous 
condition  would  certainly  have  spread ;  indeed,  it  had 
spread  up  the  arm  before  the  dermatologist  or  I  had 
seen  it,  as  the  patient  had  already  observed.  Now, 
primula  poisoning  is  not  likely  to  increase  in  area  on 
the  patient's  abstaining  from  further  handling  the 
parts.  Was  the  spread,  therefore,  neurotic  in  char- 
acter ?  Do  eczema  and  psoriasis  ever  spread  in  a 
similar  fashion  ?  In  the  case  of  pemphigus  just  pre- 
sented, the  sensitiveness  was  undoubtedly  neurotic. 
I  would  therefore  hazard  the  hypothesis  that  in  many 
skin  diseases  there  is  a  neurosis  affecting  the  secretory 
apparatus  of  the  skin,  which  displays  variety  of  type 
according  to  the  soil  and  the  particular  part  of  the 
skin  involved — such  involvement  being  sometimes 
determined  by  central  selection,  the  very  nature  of  the 
disorder  as  seen  by  the  sufferer  establishing  itself  more 
or  less  as  part  of  an  auto-induced  "  negative  circling." 

Dr.  George  Fernet  has  "no  doubt  that  the  nervous 
system  does  play  a  part  in  psoriasis"  (lecture  on 
Psoriasis  at  the  West  London  Post-Graduate  College). 


2i6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Before  going  to  press  I  treated  an  interesting  case — 
an  officer  who  had  suffered  from  psoriasis  for  eight 
years.  This  had  been  kept  under  by  ointments 
ordered  by  a  leading  specialist,  but  was  never  cured 
by  any  of  the  best  local  and  general  treatments  he 
could  think  of.  When  war  broke  out  the  patient  was 
afraid  his  brother  officers  might  observe  his  spots  and 
suspect  him  of  suffering  from  syphilis.  As  this  idea 
took  hold  of  him  the  psoriasis  extended,  until  he 
became  desperately  afraid  of  having  to  leave  the  army. 
When  he  came  to  me  he  had  decided  to  obtain  his 
discharge  unless  I  could  cure  him. 

After  two  treatments  the  edges  ceased  to  spread, 
regression  being  obvious  after  four  days.  After  two 
weeks  he  was  well  enough  to  discontinue  treatment. 
I  have  since  received  a  report  to  the  effect  that  he  is 
no  longer  troubled  with  the  complaint,  and  has  con- 
tinued on  active  service  as  a  pilot  in  the  Flying  Corps. 

It  seems  worth  noting  that  one  of  the  commonest 
and  most  readily  observed  effects  of  neuroinduction 
is  a  softness  and  healthfulness  of  the  skin  of  patients. 
Relatives  of  patients  often  remark  this.  At  the  same 
time  those  whose  hair  has  fallen  out  during  their  illness 
almost  invariably  find  the  growth  returning.  The 
hair  soon  shows  a  natural  moisture  and  lustre  :  I  have 
never  seen  better  instances  of  restored  crops — in  some 
cases  after  entire  baldness  of  the  top  of  the  head. 

In  a  case  of  psychasthenia,  in  which  the  falling-off 
of  hair  was  the  chief  factor  in  causation,  all  difficulties 
in  mind  and  body  ceased  from  the  day  upon  which 


SKIN  DISORDERS  21; 

new  hair  was  found  to  be  developing,  as  a  result  of 
general  neuroinduction,  without  any  reference  being 
made  to  the  local  condition,  and  without  any  palpa- 
tion. 

In  case  there  should  be  any  specialists  in  the  treat- 
ment of  skin  disorders  who  are  inclined  to  be  sceptical, 
or  possibly  scornful,  or  over-sensitively  antagonistic, 
I  will  close  this  chapter  by  referring  to  the  case  of  a 
medical  man's  son.  I  pick  this  out  because  it  will  be 
taken  for  granted  as  being  at  least  probable  that 
before  the  very  near  relative  of  a  medical  man  was 
pronounced  incurable  all  the  best  advice  procurable 
would  have  been  sought — particularly  as  the  patient 
happened  to  be  an  only  son. 

He  was  finally  sent  to  me,  after  years  of  psychas- 
thenia,  which  followed  a  very  advanced  and  successful 
course  of  education.  Among  other  troubles  was  acne 
vulgaris,  which  was  so  extensive  that  he  was  not  fit 
to  be  seen  in  public.  On  the  face  and  neck  it  seemed 
impossible  to  place  a  finger-tip  upon  a  sound  piece  of 
skin,  the  spots  varying  between  a  number  which  were 
absolutely  fresh,  and  inflammatory,  and  others  in  the 
scaliness  of  recovery  from  the  acute  stages. 

The  patient  was  also  bald  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
the  remainder  of  the  hair  having  the  appearance  of 
being  dry  and  badly  nourished.  A  few  months  after 
treatment  by  neuroinduction — without  any  dieting  or 
medicinal  treatment  whatever — in  addition  to  the 
whole  skin  becoming  clear,  a  thick  healthy  crop  of  hair 
grew  where  the  baldness  had  been. 


2i8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

I  am  of  opinion  that  gastro-enteritic  toxaemia, 
through  dyspepsia — itself  caused  by  worry — was  the 
circle  diagnosis  of  the  skin  disorder  in  this  case,  and 
that  it  was  cured  by  normal  functioning,  which  was 
brought  about  by  neuroinduction  acting  both  physic- 
ally and  mentally. 

Lloyd  W.  Ketron  and  John  H.  King  of  America 
have  studied  the  condition  of  the  gastro-intestinal 
tract  in  this  disorder.  They  found  disorder  in  the 
region  in  60  per  cent,  of  the  cases ;  they  considered 
that  toxaemic  absorption  had  taken  place,  which  was 
the  cause  of  the  acne  vulgaris. 

Albert  Strickler  has  pointed  out  that — 

"It  is  a  well-established  fact  that  puberty  is  an 
important  predisposing  factor  in  the  development  of 
acne.  It  is  unusual  to  see  acne  before  the  eleventh  or 
twelfth  year,  although  we  have  recently  observed  a 
case  in  a  girl,  aged  nine  years.  It  can  be  stated  that 
acne  vulgaris  is  most  common  between  the  fifteenth 
and  thirtieth  years,  although  cases  are  observed 
until  the  age  of  forty  years.  .  .  .  That  female 
patients  will  often  remark  that  their  acne  gets  worse 
at  the  menstrual  period  can  be  attested  by  most 
dermatologists." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A    STUDY   IN   MORBID   GROWTHS 

I  WANT  the  help  of  friends  in  this  chapter  as  much  as 
in  any.  For  here  I  may  possibly  get  into  serious 
trouble  with  critics.  I  go  into  the  ring  and  shake 
hands,  admitting  the  possibility  of  terrible  blows 
awaiting  me  if  I  seriously  slip.  But  I  do  not  ask 
for  a  decision  from  any  referee;  I  merely  ask  all 
readers  to  think  very  carefully.  I  shall  not  be 
disappointed  if  I  get  nothing  from  the  crowd.  If  I 
am  hissed  for  my  impudence,  I  shall  still  have  had 
my  fling.  I  shall  make  some  points  without  a  doubt, 
and  give  my  opponents  some  exercise;  more  I  can 
hardly  expect  at  this  conjuncture. 

Professor  Rutherford  Morison  has  defined  inflam- 
mation as — 

"  The  reaction  of  irritated  and  damaged  tissues 
which  still  retain  vitality,  or  a  series  of  vital  changes 
which  occur  in  the  tissues  in  response  to  irritation. 
The  irritants  are  either  non-infective  or  infective;  the 
former  comprising  mechanical,  electrical,  chemical, 
and  thermal  agents,  and  such  things  as  X  rays,  etc. ; 
the  latter  including  the  micro-organisms." 

Charles  F.  M.  Saint,  F.R.C.S.,  has  given  "some 
examples  of  tumours  certainly  or  probably  depending 

219 


220  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

on  irritation  of  some  kind  for  their  production,"  such 
asHpomata,  fibromata,  fibromyomata,  and  papillomata, 
and  ha^  pointed  out  how  prone  some  of  the  latter  are 
to  become  epitheliomatous. 

Sir  James  Goodhart  may  also  be  quoted  : 

"Are  we  wrong  to  expect  that,  if  a  complex  body 
is  possessed  of  energy  or  many  centres  of  energy  for 
orderly  growth  and  development,  this  disposition  or 
force  will  not  now  and  then  slip  its  leash  and  run 
off  on  its  own  account  ?  An  analogy  of  this  kind 
seems  to  me  to  convey  a  workable  conception  of  a 
scheme  of  malignancy,  where  ordered  growth  diverges 
by  successive  steps  of  variation,  of  indulgence  in  func- 
tion, until  cancer  appears,  until  malignancy  becomes 
the  insanity,  shall  I  say,  of  function." 

Dr.  J.  Thomson  Shirlaw  writes  to  the  British 
Medical  Journal: 

"I  hold  that  the  force  for  orderly  growth  and 
development  is  the  chemical  action  of  the  secretions 
of  the  ductless  glands." 

Mansell  Moullin  writes,  April  27,  1914  : 

"  There  are  certain  clinical  facts  which  seem  to  me 
to  point  with  no  uncertain  finger.  The  secret  of  the 
origin  of  tumours  (including  cancer)  lies  not  in  trying 
to  find  influences  or  agents  that  will  stimulate  growth 
and  reproduction,  but  in  isolating  and  investigating 
the  action  of  substances  that  possess  the  power  of 
checking  development  and  interfering  with  functional 
activity.  Development  controls  growth  and  reproduc- 
tion. If  development  is  arrested  (as,  for  example,  the 
development  of  epithelial  cells  is  arrested  under  certain 
conditions  by  arsenic  and  soot)  the  functional  activity 
of  the  tissues  is  arrested ;  the  power  of  growth  and 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     221 

reproduction,  or  so  much  of  it  as  the  cells  still  retain, 
is  freed  from  control,  and  if  there  is  the  least  provoca- 
tion, such  as  may  be  caused  by  continued  irritation, 
cells  and  tissues  at  once  begin  to  increase  and  multiply 
at  their  own  free  will.  The  result  is  a  shapeless,  form- 
less mass  of  cells,  resembling  more  or  less  closely  the 
parent  that  gave  them  birth,  never  advancing  beyond 
it  in  development,  never  doing  any  useful  work,  but 
growing  without  ceasing,  so  long  as  there  are  supplies 
of  food — in  other  words,  a  tumour." 

Dr.  H.  G.  Adamson  writes  as  follows  in  the  Lancet 
for  March  21,  1914: 

"  A  striking  feature  in  the  etiology  of  squamous-cell 
epithelioma,  in  contrast  to  that  of  rodent  ulcer,  is  that 
it  arises  always  upon  skin  or  mucous  membrane  which 
has  been  previously  damaged  by  injury  or  which  has 
been  the  seat  of  long  continued  local  irritation.  Among 
these  'precancerous'  conditions  are  scars  from  bums, 
old  syphilitic  scars  or  the  scars  of  lupus,  chronic  irrita- 
tion of  the  lower  lip  from  pipe-smoking,  leucoplakia 
of  the  tongue  or  vulva,  the  scars  of  X  ray  burns,  and 
perhaps  most  common  of  all,  the  results  of  chronic 
dermatitis  produced  by  frequent  exposure  to  sunlight 
and  known  as  keratosis  senilis,  sailor's  skin  or  tropical 
skin.  The  same  may  be  said  of  carcinoma,  which 
occurs  at  the  pylorus,  in  the  gall  duct  or  gall  bladder, 
at  the  cervix  uteri,  and  in  the  lower  part  of  the  bowel. 
All  these  parts  are  liable  to  chronic  inflammation  or 
ulcerations,  and  carcinoma  in  these  spots  is  probably 
consecutive  to  these  conditions.  The  theory  of  dormant 
embryonic  masses  cannot  explain  these  facts.  The 
formation  of  carcinoma  can  be  more  reasonably 
attributed  to  an  irregular  proliferation  of  the  epithelial 
cells,  as  a  result  of  the  loss  of  normal  relations  between 
the  epidermis  and  the  subjacent  tissue.  The  anatomi- 
cal balance  between  different  tissues  which  normally 
prevents  the  epithelium  from  invading  the  connective 


222  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

tissue  is  disturbed  by  damage  and  partial  repair. 
Disturbance  of  the  anatomical  balance  is  assisted 
possibly  by  an  upset  of  the  biochemical  balance,  owing 
to  alterations  in  the  nutrition  and  metabolism  of  the 
cells  due  to  age  or  to  the  harmful  action  of  agents  such 
as  light  or  X  rays. 

"  In  sections  of  keratosis  senilis  and  of  X  ray  scars 
one  may  study  this  gradual  disturbance  of  the  balance 
of  growth,  beginning  with  irregular  restoration  of  the 
epidermis,  through  warty  growths,  to  the  final  stage, 
in  which  the  irregular  growths  of  the  epidermis 
advance  completely  out  of  line  and  invade  the 
spaces  between  the  connective-tissue  cells.  The  study 
of  these  affections  of  the  skin  would  seem  to  suggest 
that  true  carcinoma,  in  whichever  situation,  is  the 
result  of  a  disturbance  of  the  normal  balance  of  growth 
between  epithelial  and  adjacent  tissues  as  the  result 
of  previous  damage,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  need 
to  invoke  the  aid  of  embryonic  cell-rests  or  of  microbic 
invasion." 

All  the  above  passages  are  far  more  eloquent  than 
anything  which  I  could  write,  and  I  leave  them  to 
speak  for  themselves,  being  only  too  thankful  for  their 
help,  so  that  we  may  pass  on  to  another  consideration. 
It  has  been  long  known  amongst  psychotherapists  that 
quite  localised  stigmata  such  as  petechias  or  minute 
aneurysmal  varix  could  be  produced  on  the  skin  by 
"suggestion."  Dr.  Gilbert  Scott  and  others  have 
obtained  photographs  of  instances  from  experiments 
made  by  himself.  He  moreover  found  that  these 
stigmata  would  develop  without  the  skin  being 
touched.     I  quote  from  an  article  written  by  him  : 

"Whilst  in  the  somnambulistic  state,  the  patient's 
eyes  were  opened,  and  she  was  shown  the  half  of  a 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     223 

four-pointed,  star-shaped  piece  of  paper,  and  was 
ordered  to  reproduce  the  pattern  on  her  arm  in  points 
of  stigmatisation.  Her  arm  was  not  touched  in  any 
way.  March  14,  a  figure,  more  or  less  similar  to  the 
pattern,  was  produced  in  a  faint  manner  on  her  arm." 

I  offer  this  experiment  made  by  Dr.  Gilbert  Scott  in 
absolute  confidence  of  its  having  been  bona  fide ;  it  is 
an  indubitable  proof  of  a  scientific  fact.  Not  only 
have  he  and  others  produced  stigmata,  but  such 
may  be  produced  by  anyone  employing  a  similar 
technique,  which  is  one  not  at  all  difficult  for  the 
uninitiated  to  learn. 

Such  experiments  prove  some  central  control  over 
the  vaso-motor  mechanism  of  the  skin. 

Let  us  now  consider  some  cases  of  my  own  which 
carry  the  subject  further',  and  which  are  instances  of 
precisely  the  opposite  kind  to  those  of  Dr.  Gilbert 
Scott.  Take  one  of  pustule  on  a  patient's  neck.  By 
means  of  neuroinduction  I  elicited  the  sense  of  shrink- 
ing of  this  pustule,  and  of  the  reddened  area  around 
it,  with  the  result  that  in  the  course  of  twelve  hours  it 
showed  definite  signs  of  retrogression,  until  in  a  day  or 
two  it  entirely  disappeared,  save  for  a  slight  mark.  I  do 
not  say  or  know  that  all  pustules  would  do  so,  but 
this  did.  I  have  not  wasted  valuable  time  in  trying 
experiments  upon  other  patients  suffering  from  pus- 
tules, for  I  have  been  very  busy  treating  many  disorders 
for  the  past  few  years.  But,  after  some  three  weeks' 
interval,  a  pustule  again  developed  in  the  very  same 
spot,  the  mark  of  the  first  not  having  entirely  gone. 


224  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Again  I  treated  it,  and  it  disappeared  in  a  similar 
manner,  leaving  for  a  week  or  two  just  a  very 
small  scar  to  mark  the  place.  It  is  now  five 
years  since  then,  and  the  patient  has  had  no 
recurrence. 

Amongst  my  nervous  patients,  eight  years  ago,  was 
one  having  a  wart  on  the  knuckle  of  a  finger,  so  large 
and  inconvenient  |  inch  in  diameter  at  the  base)  that 
I  recommended  her  to  a  local  surgeon,  for  it  seemed 
that  any  of  the  superficial  applications  would  take 
far  too  long  a  time.  The  surgeon  cut  it  off.  But 
to  my  amazement  the  patient  came  to  me  a  few  days 
after  healing  was  complete,  and  showed  me  the  back 
of  her  hand,  with  twenty-five  to  thirty  other  warts 
developing.  I  concluded  that  these  must  be  neuro- 
pathic, and  decided  that  this  would  be  conclusively 
proved  if  neuroinduction,  designed  to  effect  retrogres- 
sion, were  successful.  I  treated  about  half  the  number 
at  the  first  sitting;  and  each  of  these  showed  signs 
of  shrinkage  within  twenty-four  hours;  while  the 
remainder  were  unaffected,  and  I  dealt  with  these  at  a 
second  sitting.  In  a  week  the  whole  skin  had  a  level 
surface.  Analysis  revealed  the  fact  that  a  scare  had 
entered  the  patient's  mind;  she  thought  that  "it 
would  be  awful  if  many  warts  came,  and  if  they  all 
had  to  be  cut  away  under  chloroform."  In  my  opinion 
this  idea  constituted  the  central  initiating  factor  which 
produced  the  crop. 

I  must  apologise  for  referring  so  much  to  the  writings 
of  others ;  I  am,  however,  doing  all  I  can  to  convey  my 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS      225 

message  in  as  little  space  as  possible,  although  the 
subject  might  easily  be  found  worthy  of  a  large  volume 
all  to  itself. 

Rubens  Duval  has  pointed  out  that — 

"Many  of  the  malignant  tumours  removed  by  the 
surgeon  contain  abundant  microscopic  evidence  that 
the  organism  has  been  reacting  to  the  irritation  they 
cause,  and  has  done  what  it  can  to  cause  their  spon- 
taneous regression.  The  sclerosis  of  the  fibrous  tissue 
round  a  cancer  often  leads  to  the  death  of  masses  of  the 
cancer  cells,  as  Sampson  Handley  and  others  have 
pointed  out,  and  this  may  be  regarded  as  a  *  defensive 
reaction'  of  these  connective  tissues  by  theologists. 
The  bloodvessels  join  in  the  defence  by  obliterative 
processes,  which  still  further  cut  off  the  supply  of  nutri- 
tion to  the  cancer  cells." 

The  British  Medical  Journal  has  commented  : 

"As  regards  the  modifications  exhibited  by  the 
carcinomatous  cells  themselves,  loss  of  vitality  may  be 
indicated  in  several  ways.  This  is  well  shown  by  the 
results  of  treatment  with  radium.  Radium  causes  the 
rapid  necrosis  and  dissolution  of  some  of  the  cancerous 
cells,  others  are  similarly  destroyed  but  more  slowly, 
while  others  exhibit  a  phase  of  monstrous  hypertrophy 
as  a  preliminary  to  rapid  disintegration;  and,  as  a 
final  condition,  some  of  them  appear  to  be  converted 
into  normal  cells  (epithelial  cells  in  the  case  of  an 
epithelioma),  and  to  ripen  and  run  the  natural  course 
of  evolution  characteristic  of  the  cells  from  which  the 
malignant  neoplasm  originally  arose." 

I  wrote  the  following  8^  pages  some  time  before 
finishing  this  book,  and  I  offered  it  to  two  of  the 
leading    medical    journals.     It    was     declined — for 

15 


226  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

what  reason  I  shall  probably  never  know;  but  I  can 
only  think,  in  all  charitableness  of  heart,  that  the  time 
was  not  ripe  for  it. 


Cancer  and  some  Cogent  Arguments 

At  a  moment  when  the  treatment  of  cancer  and  other 
conditions  by  radium  is  receiving  much  deserved 
attention  on  the  part  of  the  public  and  medical  profes- 
sion, and  while  enthusiasm  is  running  high,  I  desire 
to  put  on  record  some  conclusions  which  I  have  arrived 
at  during  the  past  five  years. 

I  am  aware  of  instances  of  spontaneous  reduction 
and  disappearance  of  abnormal  growths.  I  have  also 
heard  of  some  few  favourable  results  having  been 
claimed  by  certain  experimenters  in  treatment  by 
suggestion,  who  have  not  known  how  the  effects  were 
produced,  even  if  they  really  obtained  any  at  all,  and 
who  have  not  been  able  by  applying  definite  technique 
in  manipulation  or  speech  to  obtain  repeated  results. 
I  have  sought  to  obtain  results  beyond  these,  which 
could  be  explained.  I  must  humbly  enter  my  claim  to 
be  the  first  medical  man  who  has  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing definite  results  of  a  curative  nature  in  cases  of 
organic  disease  and  new  growths  by  means  of  psycho- 
therapy, while  being  able  to  explain  the  technique  and 
rationale  employed  in  a  manner  which  could  be  readily 
understood  and  adopted  by  other  scientists. 

Having  for  many  years  been  interested  in  psycho- 
therapy,  and   having  made  a   special   study   of  its 


A  StUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     2^; 

beneficial  effects  in  nervous  and  mental  disorders,  I 
found,  incidentally,  that  some  remarkable  effects  were 
to  be  obtained  upon  the  heart  and  the  circulation.  In 
1908  I  began  to  study  the  effects  of  suggestion  upon 
the  sympathetic  nervous  system — upon  the  vaso-motor 
mechanism  and  the  blood  circulation,  both  general  and 
local.  In  the  case  of  various  organic  conditions  and 
new  growths  I  succeeded  in  reducing  size  and  in 
altering  consistency  in  a  hopelessly  advanced  case 
of  cancer.  At  the  same  time,  in  cases  of  benignant  new 
growths,  I  caused  a  decrease  of  the  blood-supply, 
a  reduction  of  the  swelling,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
disappearance  of  the  abnormality.  In  1909  I  obtained 
still  more  encouraging  results,  and  was  successful  not 
only  in  preventing  further  obvious  development  in  a 
recurrent  case  of  cancer  of  the  breast,  but  in  causing 
nodules  actually  developed  to  regress  and  disappear. 
In  191  o  I  was  further  successful.  I  did  not  have  the 
nodules  microscopically  examined  :  it  is  immaterial 
to  me  at  the  moment  whether  they  were  cancerous 
or  no. 

In  191 1  I  sent  a  letter  to  the  British  Medical  Journal 
referring  to  my  work  and  results,  for  which  this  journal 
could  not  find  space,  though  I  wrote  again  expressing 
astonishment  that  such  an  important  communication 
should  be  crowded  out.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the 
editor  did  not  regard  my  observations  with  any  confi- 
dence. I  thus  realised  that  the  time  was  not  ripe  for 
such  advanced  work  to  be  seriously  regarded. 
Humble  representations  to  certain  other  authorities, 


:^28  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

and  the  dilatory  responses  elicited,  did  not  encourage 
me  to  press  my  claims  any  further  at  the  time. 

By  no  means  the  least  difficulty  I  had  to  contend 
with  at  this  period  was  the  lack  of  material  in  respect 
of  which  I  could  extend  my  inquiries  and  experiments. 
Prompt  surgical  operation  being  the  best  form  of  treat- 
ment then  known,  having  been  fully  tried  and  proved, 
every  patient  had  a  right  to  be  allowed  the  benefit  of 
it.  The  nature  of  my  experiments  was  so  little  under- 
stood by  others,  and  so  sceptically  regarded,  that  it 
was  naturally  not  easy  for  me  to  fi.nd  help  anywhere. 
I  had  no  other  alternative  but  to  accept  this  state  of 
affairs  with  patience  and  forbearance,  but  with  quite 
a  healthy  confidence  that  time  would  show. 

In  191 2  I  made  inquiry  into  the  effects  of  Roentgen 
rays  and  radium ;  I  visited  the  Radium  Institute  for 
the  purpose.  I  sent  a  case  there  for  treatment,  a 
woman  suffering  from  advanced  uterine  cancer.  As 
a  result  my  conception  was  strengthened  of  the 
great  likelihood  that  radium  and  Roentgen  rays 
acted  to  an  appreciable  extent  by  suggestion. 

It  will  therefore  be  noted  that  my  work  in  respect 
of  new  growths  and  cancer  has  necessarily  proceeded 
very  slowly;  in  fact,  since  191 1  it  has  not  been  con- 
tinued, partly  for  the  reasons  explained,  but  also 
because  I  have  been  deeply  engaged  in  other  work — 
which  I  can  hardly  count  of  less  importance,  looking 
over  the  results.  I  have  all  the  time  been  quite  content 
with  the  belief  that  while  organic  conditions  had  better 
wait  awhile,  the  work  I  continued  to  pursue  in  other 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS      229 

directions  would  ultimately  serve  to  help  me  to  prove 
my  contentions  whenever  I  might  return  again  to  the 
question  of  abnormal  growths.  Meanwhile  I  have  to 
note :  — 

1.  In  the  absence  of  any  better  explanation  we  have 
a  right  to  view' some  cases  of  spontaneous  cure  as 
being  possibly  brought  about  by  autosuggestion. 
One  of  the  greatest  surgeons  and  authorities  on  cancer 
(Butlin)  spoke  and  wrote  as  follows  (British  Medical 
Journaly  June  18,  191  o)  : 

"Internal  tumours  disappear  in  persons  who  have 
been  condemned  to  death  by  the  most  capable  sur- 
geons ...  as  if  by  magic,  ...  as  we  occasionally 
know  to  our  chagrin.  ...  I  would  ask  whether  it  is 
not  possible  that  a  power  of  resistance  may,  once  in 
many  thousand  cases,  be  acquired  under  the  influence 
of  a  mental  condition.  And  in  referring  to  cases  of 
spontaneous  cure  he  declared  :  '  We  are  obliged  to 
accept  them  as  facts,  but  we  are  unable  to  explain 
them.'" 

2.  I  have  observed  that  the  more  genuinely  cheerful 
a  cancer  patient  is  the  longer  will  he  live,  other  things 
being  equal.  In  one  case  which  was  the  object  of 
particular  observation,  recurrence  ceased  when  the 
person  developed  the  disposition  to  worry  less.  It 
seems  that  idea  of  growth  (including  gloomy  appre- 
hension) tends  to  further  growth.  Indifference 
towards  growth  tends  to  the  maintenance  of  the 
status  quo,  other  things  being  equal.  Indifference 
towards  abnormal  growth  plus  a  sense  of  healthy  well- 
being  and  easy  thinking  tends  to  diminution  and  dis- 


230  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

appearance,  other  things  being  equal.  The  idea  of  a 
cure — a  smihng  inkhng  of  betterment — has  a  curative 
tendency,  not  only  as  regards  morbid  growths,  but  in 
the  case  of  any  disorder  which  is  curable,  other  things 
being  equal. 

3.  Many  new  remedies  have  created  a  favourable 
impression  on  the  patient ;  they  have  appeared  to  give 
benefit  for  a  time.  In  some  instances  this  has  been 
on  account  of  great  concentration  of  the  thoughts 
upon  the  idea  of  a  cure  which  has  resulted  from 
their,  use. 

4.  In  the  method  of  treatment  by  radium  there  are 
conditions  which  are  highly  favourable  to  the  entry 
of  the  curative  power  of  suggestion — 

{a)  Lying  very  still  for  some  time  in  a  quiet  room, 
thinking  hopefully  of  a  wonderful  treatment  so  very 
highly  spoken  of,  and  so  impressively  and  cleverly 
applied. 

{b)  Mental  concentration  upon  the  diseased  spot  in 
a  happier  plane  of  thought,  which  is  more  marked 
when  remedial  applications  are  employed,  also 
tangible  and  visible  instruments,  there  being  obvious 
sensation  and  perception. 

5.  I  have  myself,  at  will — knowing  how  to  act  and 
what  to  expect — obtained  unquestionable  results  by 
psychotherapy  in  dealing  with  examples  of  organic 
disease  and  abnormal  growth,  which  could  not  be 
exceeded  by  radium  in  similar  cases. 

6.  The  blood-supply  can  be  very  powerfully  influ- 
enced,  generally   and   locally,   by   neuroinductign^ 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS      231 

visibly  so,  in  fact.  Now,  the  influence  of  radium  on 
the  bloodvessels  and  in  checking  haemorrhage  has 
been  found  to  be  very  prompt  and  definite. 

7.  It  was  reported  that  the  bottles  of  radium 
emanations  sent  forth  to  patients  in  large  numbers 
were  producing  "very  encouraging  effects."  This 
report  is  to  me  extremely  suggestive  of  the  fact  that 
suggestion  may  have  been  at  work  under  this  method 
of  application. 

8.  I  have  indisputable  proof  of  organic  disorder 
and  the  development  of  new  growth  having  been 
originated  by  suggestion.  In  one  such  case  I  have 
reversed  the  causative  impression,  and  the  new  growth 
has  regressed  and  disappeared. 

9.  In  all  inflammatory  conditions,  and  in  cases  of 
functionally  uncontrollable  arterial  dilation  or  con- 
traction, suggestion,  when  applied  in  certain  ways, 
will  act  most  powerfully  either  to  increase  or  to 
diminish. 

10.  I  have  watched  a  case  of  inflammatory  swelling 
which  appeared  and  disappeared,  afterwards  becom- 
ing definitely  periodic,  and,  later  on,  permanent ;  and 
I  have  little  doubt  that  operation  would  have  been 
found  necessary  had  not  the  patient  been  treated  by 
suggestion,  which  first  caused  regression  to  the  point 
of  disappearance  and  then  prevented  recurrence. 

11.  I  know  how  suggestion  acts  upon  the  blood- 
supply,  and  can  demonstrate  that  it  does  so  act.  Now, 
nobody  knows  as  yet  absolutely  and  finally  how 
radium  acts.     There  are  many  who  are  not  satisfied 


232  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

that  radium  possesses  all  the  virtues  it  is  credited 
with.  Not  a  scientist  could  be  found  to  dispute  the 
effect  and  the  explanation  of  my  application  of 
psychotherapy,  for  obvious  effects  can  be  produced, 
in  some  instances  immediately. 

12.  Psychotherapy,  as  I  am  able  to  demonstrate, 
acts  in  three  ways :  Firstly,  locally,  influencing  the 
vaso-motor  mechanism;  secondly,  generally  influ- 
encing the  vaso-motor  mechanism;  thirdly,  "sympa- 
thetically," producing  remarkable  improvements  in 
the  functioning  of  the  glands.  Psychotherapy  read- 
justs, permits,  and  encourages  the  vis  medicatrix 
natures. 

13.  The  effects  of  psychotherapy  on  the  organic  con- 
ditions and  new  growths  referred  to  have  not  only 
been  studied  directly,  they  have  been  observed  in  con- 
nection with  a  profound  study  of  the  nervous  system ; 
hence  a  rationale  of  the  treatment  has  been  the  more 
readily  forthcoming.  Many  equally  striking  and  con- 
vincing conclusions  may  be  recorded  respecting  the 
effects  of  psychotherapy  in  certain  mental  and  nervous 
disorders,  and,  indeed,  in  other  specific  organic  con- 
ditions. 

14.  In  opening  a  discussion  on  radium  and  cancer 
at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Medical  Associa- 
tion in  July,   191 3,  Sir  Alfred  Pearce  Gould  said: 

"  I  shall  never  say  otherwise  than  that  any  case  of 
cancer  which  seems  to  have  been  cured  by  surgical 
operation  has  really  been  cured  as  a  result  of  the  com- 
bined work  of  the  surgeon  and  of  the  great  power  of 
natural  tissue  resistance." 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     233 

On  the  same  occasion  Dr.  Frank  Fowler,  in  referring 
to  results,  concluded  : 

"  The  relief  that  assurance  gives  to  the  patient  helps 
to  prevent  the  downward  course  that  often  follows  the 
diagnosis  of  cancer.  I  do  not  attempt  to  discriminate 
the  good  that  is  done  by  the  X  rays,  and  that  done 
by  my  confidence  in  their  beneficial  effect." 

15.  In  referring  to  the  action  of  X  rays  in  certain 
skin  diseases,  Dr.  Ernest  Dore  has  mentioned  {British 
Medical  Journal  October  18,  191 3)  more  than  one 
case  in  which  certain  patches  had  been  treated  with 
success,  while  other  patches,  not  treated,  in  the 
same  patients,  and  at  the  same  time,  had  also  been 
cleared  up. 

16.  Different  authorities  have  written  as  follows : 
"  Depression,  grief,  mental  shock,  worry  or  fear,  appear 
to  be  predisposing  causes  of  cancer."  ...  "  Perverted 
or  weakened  nerve  influence  and  impaired  resistance 
are  probably  the  determining  factors."  "A  cancer 
growth  is  sick  protoplasm  worried  by  abnormal 
innervation." 

17.  Authorities  have  found  that  adrenin  applied  to 
cancerous  growths  has  resulted  in  "unquestionable 
cure  in  some  cases."  We  have  thus  two  distinct  and 
important  claims — {a)  that  the  X  rays  influence  the 
blood-supply,  and  possibly  also  local  nerve-supply; 
and  (J))  that  adrenin  influences  the  blood-supply.  I 
do  not  hesitate  to  advance  the  possibility  that  the 
X  rays  or  adrenin,  plus  psychotherapy — specially 
modified  and  administered — might  be  found  to  agl; 


234  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

even  more  favourably  than  any  one  of  these  agencies 
employed  alone. 

1 8.  It  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  cancer  is  a 
disease  arising  from  both  a  local  and  a  general  cause. 
It  would  further  seem  that  cures  have  been  effected  by 
agencies  which  have  attacked  both.  When  the  X  rays 
have  been  successful  the  local  application  has  probably 
co-operated  with  an  unintended  mental  suggestion 
which  has  happened  to  be  of  a  sufficient  character. 
Similarly  in  the  case  of  adrenin.  When  spontaneous 
cure  has  taken  place,  are  we  not  entitled  to  consider 
that  some  unknown  influence  has  been  at  work  both 
generally  and  locally  ?  When  psychotherapy  has 
acted  favourably,  are  we  not  justified  in  concluding 
that  both  local  and  general  effects  have  been  produced  ? 

Having  long  ago  established  the  fact  that  cancer 
and  new  growths  can  be  readily  affected  by  sugges- 
tion, all  I  humbly  ask  at  this  juncture  is  that  the 
reality  of  psychotherapeutic  effects  should  be  borne  in 
the  mind  while  considering  other  treatments. 

In  the  recurrent  cancer  case  referred  to  in  the  above 
article,  it  may  be  that  the  disease  only  appeared  to  be 
recurrent.  I  have  no  desire  to  make  any  undue  claim. 
It  might  be  that  I  merely  reduced  the  swelling.  I  am 
satisfied  for  the  time  being  that  very  soon  after  the 
publication  of  these  particulars  the  truth  will  be  forth- 
coming. Meanwhile  I  can  only  say  that  the  case 
seemed  to  me  to  be  one  of  the  recurrent  type. 

I  should  like  to  add  a  few  further  contributions  to 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     235 

the  argument.     Barling  wrote  (July  30,  1910,  in  the 
British  Medical  Journal) : 

"We  can  recognise  one  striking  feature  in  the  dis- 
tinction of  cancer  (epithelial)  common  to  the  experi- 
mental production  of  immunity,  to  the  disappearance 
of  the  growths  under  radium,  to  spontaneous  recessive 
processes  in  the  human  body.  This  is  the  active  part 
played  by  the  connective  tissues;  we  have  an  irri- 
tative overgrowth  and  subsequent  contraction  which 
appears  to  determine  the  death  of  the  epithelial  cell." 

The  following  is  also  worth  quoting  from  a  leader 
in  the  British  Medical  Journal : 

"Just  as  the  functional  diseases  underlie  certain 
mental  states,  so  disturbances  of  the  mind  or  spirit 
may  cause  or  aggravate  certain  bodily  ailments.  This 
is  especially  the  case  in  the  region  of  nervous  diseases, 
but  depression,  grief  and  mental  shock,  worry  or  fear, 
appear  to  be  predisposing  causes  of  cancer  and  other 
organic  affections." 

We  may  well  ask :  Does  a  local  strain,  injury,  or 
irritation  exhaust  the  local  tone  of  the  nervous  or 
vascular  supply,  and  so  induce  cell  proliferation  ? 

Dr.  Aspinall  Marsden  writes  (British  Medical 
Journal)  : 

"I  believe  that  in  cases  of  malignant  growth  per- 
verted or  weakened  nerve  influence  and  impaired 
resistance  on  the  part  of  the  tissues  are  probably  the 
determining  factors. 

"In  my  view  the  changed  nerve  influence  brings 
about  a  resuscitation  of  the  ancestral  reproductive 
faculty," 


236  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Dr.  Thompson  Shirlaw  writes  {British  Medical 
Journal) : 

"  I  fear  that  I  do  not  see  eye  to  eye  with  Dr.  Brock 
where  he  considers  that  cancer  is  *a  dissociation 
of  personahty '  somewhat  similar  to  that  found  in 
hysteria  and  alhed  neuroses.  In  the  latter  I  agree 
that  'the  psychic  condition  of  the  patient  is  one  of 
anarchy.'  In  cancer,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  no 
psychic  condition  to  be  considered,  but  a  material 
pathological  state,  which  can  only  be  explained  in  a 
material  way.  ...  I  believe  that  the  'controller'  or 
*  governor '  is  of  the  nature  of  a  secretion,  and  that  it 
is  a  combination  of  the  secretion  of  the  thyroid,  the 
adrenals,  and  the  pituitary  body.  The  President  of 
the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons  in  Ireland  has  pub- 
lished a  case  of  glandular  recurrence  after  extirpation 
of  a  carcinoma  of  the  larynx,  in  which  the  growths 
disappeared  on  treatment  with  thyroid  extract,  and 
asked  some  important  and  interesting  questions : 

"  I.  What  is  the  nature  of  the  influence  of  the  thyroid 
extract  and  by  what  process  did  the  tumour  melt? 
(My  answer  is  that  the  thyroid  furnishes  a  large  part 
of  the  governing  secretion;  the  mutinous  cells  are 
checked  and  are  brought  into  line  with  the  loyalists 
whose  good  example  softens  their  hearts.) 

"  2.  How  far  does  the  existence  of  such  cases  go  to 
prove  that  one  of  the  conditions  necessary  for  the 
occurrence  of  cancer  in  an  individual  is  some  defective 
or  abnormal  internal  secretion  ?  (In  my  opinion  it 
goes  a  long  way  in  verifying  such  a  hypothesis.) 

"3.  Why  does  thyroid  extract  cure  a  few  cases  and 
leave  others  unaffected  ?  (For  the  simple  reason 
that  the  thyroid  furnishes  only  one  of  the  necessary 
secretions.)" 

Our  consideration  of  the  problem  is  no  less 
assisted  by  those  who  have,  recorded  their  experiences 


A  STUDY  IN  MORBID  GROWTHS     23; 

of  X  rays  and  radium  in  the  treatment  of  new 
growths. 

Dr.  Dawson  Turner,  in  a  recently  published  volume, 
has  enumerated  certain  conditions  in  which  radium 
emanation  treatment  has  been  found  beneficial,  such 
as  "gout,  chronic  articular  rheumatism,  gonorrhoeal 
rheumatism,  rheumatoid  arthritis,  neuralgias  of  all 
kinds,  certain  diseases  of  women,  high  blood-pressure, 
premature  old  age."  Now,  we  know  to-day  how  much 
the  nervous  factor  contributes  to  causation  in  all 
these,  particularly  in  cases  of  gout,  rheumatism,  rheu- 
matoid arthritis,  and  high  blood-pressure.  As  to 
premature  old  age,  this  is  so  often  the  result  of 
untoward  circumstances  of  living  that  it  may  well  be 
described  as  a  big  "  arc  "  of  "  vicious  circling." 

Dr.  Fernaud  de  Verteuil  writes  : 

"A  third  theory,  propounded  by  Deane  Butcher, 
is  that  radium  possibly  acts  as  a  vaccine,  its  rays 
exciting  the  leucocytes  to  the  production  of  antibodies. 
In  support  of  this  it  might  be  stated  that  the  opsonic 
index  has  been  found  raised  after  applications  both  of 
X  rays  and  radium. 

"  I  have  been  using  radium  in  my  practice  during  the 
last  two  years,  and  the  chief  thing  that  has  struck 
me  about  it  is  its  wonderful  influence  on  bloodvessels 
and  lymphatics.  The  remarkable  power  that  radium 
has  in  arresting  haemorrhage  was  referred  to  by  several 
speakers  at  the  last  annual  meeting  of  the  British 
Medical  Association.  It  may,  in  fact,  be  stated  that 
its  chief  utility  in  therapeutics  is  its  power  of  obliterat- 
ing bloodvessels  or  spaces,  as  witness  the  way  in 
which  it  removes  various  forms  of  naevi  and  angiomata. 
Now  it  seems  to  me  that  this  action  of  radium  on 


^38  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

vascular  tissues  will  equally  explain  to  a  large  extent 
its  beneficial  influence  in  new  growths.  The  oblitera- 
tion of  the  blood  channels  which  ramify  in  and  supply 
the  growth  would  in  great  measure  tend  to  cut  off  its 
source  of  nutriment,  which  must  eventually  result  in 
the  death  and  disappearance  of  the  growth." 

Just  what  determines  the  character  of  the  local  sign 
in  pemphigus,  eczema,  psoriasis,  and  herpes,  it  may  be 
very  difficult  at  the  moment  to  decide,  but  that  the 
vaso-motor  mechanism  can  be  influenced  in  these 
diseases  by  neuroinduction  cannot  be  questioned. 

I  know  that  neuroinduction  produces  vaso-motor 
contractile  effects,  on  local  blood  and  lymph  vessels 
and  on  secretory  apparatus;  it  is  proved  also  that  a 
normal  disposition  of  parts  can  be  induced  under  the 
influence  of  a  central  impression.  The  reason  I  offer 
is  that  the  central  aid  is  of  the  nature  of  a  correction 
of  association;  negative  conceptions  become  positive, 
and  produce  sympathetic  reflex  effects  accordingly. 

The  reader  may  ask  for  some  description  of  the 
particular  technique  employed.  The  physician 
having  inducted  towards  the  perfect  physiological 
relaxation  of  every  system,  the  diseased  part  should 
then  be  slightly  palpated  while  words  are  spoken 
which  convey  the  idea  of  a  shrinking,  shrivelling,  con- 
tracting, and  healthful  feeling,  in  place  of  the  very 
opposite  conception  that  has  existed  in  the  patient's 
mind. 


CHAPTER  XV 
GYNAECOLOGY 

Disorders  of  Menstruation 

In  no  department  of  medicine  or  surgery  is  psycho- 
therapy more  strikingly  effectual  than  in  disorders  of 
menstruation.  I  feel  almost  tempted  to  write  no  more 
than  this  under  the  heading,  for  the  evidence  is  so 
abundant ;  a  whole  book  could  be  written  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  cases  cited  without  end. 

I  hesitate  to  continue.  I  feel  I  would  rather  avoid 
the  recital  of  so  many  instances  of  operations  being 
performed,  curettings  and  dilatations  galore,  which 
have  been  ineffectual,  while  psychotherapy  has  easily 
corrected  the  difficulty.  But  I  am  not  quite  so 
absurdly  obsessed  as  to  declare  there  are  no  menstrual 
disorders  requiring  the  surgeon's  operation.  There 
are  many.  My  message  is,  that  the  majority  of 
menstrual  disorders  are  better  treated  by  psycho- 
therapy than  by  anything  else  in  this  world.  I  shall 
have  no  difficulty  in  proving  this  if  any  medical 
society  will  offer  me  a  platform.  And  I  will  promise 
not  to  reveal  the  names  of  surgeons,  great  and  small, 
who  have  preceded  me  in  the  cases  cited. 

Whether  menstruation  Be  profuse,  painful,  scanty, 
239 


240  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

or  abnormally  suppressed,  seems  to  matter  very  little ; 
the  patient  can  be  inducted  to  the  normal  state,  pro- 
vided no  gross  organic  condition  is  at  the  foundation 
of  the  trouble,  and  provided  the  mental  power  of  the 
patient  is  sufficient  to  allow  of  development,  if  not 
already  quite  adequate. 

But  need  we  be  astonished  at  this,  after  what  we 
have  seen  respecting  other  disorders  ?  Should  we  not 
rather  expect  very  favourable  results  in  this  connec- 
tion? Have  we  not  already  glimpsed  the  substance 
of  this  chapter  through  the  lines  of  the  foregoing  pages 
on  constipation? 

I  will  cite  one  or  two  cases — selected  because  they 
offer  points  of  interest : 

A  dancer,  twenty  years  of  age,  was  sent  to  me  by  a 
leading  gynaecologist,  suffering  from  irregular  men- 
struation and  floodings.  Being  a  consultant  of 
advanced  ideas,  after  having  prescribed  everything 
else  he  could  think  of,  he  did  not  recommend  an 
operation.  Nothing  abnormal  took  place  as  to  men- 
struation after  commencing  treatment.  Analysis 
(again  not  Freud's)  showed  that  not  only  had  the 
patient  two  years  previously  suffered  from  a  rather 
increased  amount  of  discharge  at  a  few  periods,  but 
that  this  had  since  established  hysterical  exaggera- 
tions and  misrepresentations. 

Extreme  menstrual  irregularity  was  complained  of  by 
a  singer  whose  profession  demanded  her  appearance 
before  the  public.  Analysis  showed  that  she  had  once 
been  notified  to  appear  before  royalty ;  the  excitement 


GYNECOLOGY  241 

of  this  caused  delay,  the  worry  of  which  estabhshed 
a  permanent  tendency. 

A  married  woman  suffered  from  a  menstrual  flow 
which  was  unaccountably  prolonged  over  two  weeks. 
A  general  practitioner  was  called  in  by  telephone,  the 
nature  of  the  case  being  explained.  He  arrived  at  the 
bedside  and  put  down  a  bag  on  the  floor,  which  the 
patient  declared  was  an  instrument  bag — she  said 
she  had  seen  them  before  and  knew  them  only  too 
well.  She  declined  operation  or  even  examination. 
He  prescribed  ergot,  and  told  the  husband  that  if  that 
was  ineffective  he  should  decline  to  attend  again.  The 
patient  continued  to  suffer.  Thereupon  a  specialist 
was  called  in.  He  recommended  neuroinduction,  and 
there  was  no  more  trouble. 

In  treating  disorders  of  menstruation  one  often  has 
the  satisfaction  of  finding  that  the  more  severe  the 
symptoms  the  more  rapid  is  the  cure  under  psycho- 
therapy ;  one  finds  the  same  thing  in  cases  of  skin 
disease,  incontinence  of  urine,  throat  spasm,  etc. 
Little  attacks  of  many  different  disorders  are  some- 
times more  difficult  to  cure  than  more  pronounced 
ones.  This  is  not  astonishing  when  one  analyses  the 
"negative  arcs."  For  should  a  slight  complaint  be 
taken  to  a  specialist,  while  others  of  a  more  serious 
nature  exist,  although  not  deemed  so  important  by  the 
patient,  then  the  smaller  "  arc  "  is  almost  certain  to  be 
kept  going  by  the  larger  ones;  on  the  other  hand,  if 
the  "arc"  complained  of  be  the  largest  of  several,  it 
will   receive   particular   treatment,   the   smaller   ones 

16 


242  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

being  ignored :  concentration  on  the  big  "  arc "  cures 
all  the  troubles  promptly;  concentration  on  the  small 
one  produces  little  effect.  Hence  the  importance  of 
detecting  all  "arcs,"  and  of  dealing  indirectly  with 
them  when  occasion  indicates. 

Obstetrics 

r  must  ask  the  reader  to  excuse  a  passing  reference 
to  obstetrics  under  gynaecology;  I  can  find  no  better 
place  for  the  subject  in  any  other  chapter.  I  will 
merely  give  a  case — well  knowing  that  other  psycho- 
therapists have  obtained  almost  similar  results — 
because  I  consider  that  it  is  interesting  in  the  general 
consideration  of  the  subject : 

When  in  general  practice,  some  two  years  before  I 
became  engaged  solely  in  special  work,  a  pianist 
had  been  treated  by  me  for  hysteria,  by  psychotherapy. 
On  becoming  pregnant  she  dreaded  the  event  of  par- 
turition and  asked  if  I  would  attend  her.  During 
the  early  pains  she  sent  for  me,  the  time  of  day  being 
seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  By  neuroinduction  I 
enabled  her  to  obtain  natural  sleep  at  bedtime,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  progress  toward  the  birth  of 
the  child  was  being  made  all  the  time.  At  four  in 
the  morning  I  was  telephoned  for  by  the  nurse,  who 
excitedly  declared  that  she  had  just  found  the  baby 
in  bed  on  being  awakened  by  the  patient.  The  latter 
had  known  nothing  until  she  felt  the  child  between 
her  legs;  she  then  called  the  nurse,  who  was  herself 
fast  asleep  in  an  armchair. 


GYNECOLOGY  243 

Cases  of  alteration  of  the  amount  and  quality  of 
mothers'  milk  have  been  referred  to  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

I  have  obtained  many  most  satisfactory  results  from 
treating  "expectant"  mothers  during  the  war  years, 
and  while  there  were  air-raid  possibilities,  who  have 
feared  unfavourable  eventualities  of  various  kinds. 
One  or  two  applications  of  neuroinduction  have  served 
to  steady  the  whole  nervous  system  and  given  oppor- 
tunities (incidentally)  for  improving  the  potentialities 
of  the  patients  for  their  ensuing  "confinement" — 
invariably  reducing  both  the  general  and  local  dis- 
tress of  "  labour." 


CHAPTER  XVI 
CRIMINAL   INCLINATIONS 

Kleptomania 

I  HAVE  found  some  cases  of  kleptomania  to  have  had 
their  origin  in  mental  traumata  which  have  occurred 
in  very  early  life.  Analysis  has  revealed  mixed 
emotional  elevation  due  to  the  fact  that  an  article  of  value 
has  been  taken,  and  has  been  missed  by  its  owner,  the 
success  having  involved  sensations  of  pride  at  outwit- 
ting the  latter,  as  well  as  delight  in  possessing  the 
article,  alternating  with  general  fear,  to  which  may  be 
added  dread  of  punishment  and  anticipation  of 
accumulating  anger  and  distrust.  In  other  cases  accu- 
sation has  been  "rubbed  in,"  perhaps  for  weeks,  the 
patient  having  been  in  the  position  of  a  prisoner  incar- 
cerated for  a  first  offence,  who  has  decided  that  he 
was  the  sort  of  person  known  as  a  criminal,  and  felt 
he  could  not  be  otherwise,  being  afterwards  attracted 
by  opportunities  for  repetition  of  the  act  (just''  as  a 
moth  is  attracted  by  any  light  that  may  be  visible), 
there  being  little  chance  for  the  introduction  of  positive 
correction  of  a  sufficiently  emotional  nature. 

I  have  found  cases  easy  to  treat  by  a  neuroinduction 
which  will   permit  positive  emotion  to   exercise  its 

244 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  -  245 

neutralising  force.  The  following  instance  may  be 
studied.  A  young  woman  of  gentle  birth  and  breed- 
ing, aged  twenty,  was  sent  to  me  by  a  neurologist  of  high 
standing,  suffering  from  kleptomania,  falsehood,  and 
general  bad  behaviour,  with  a  history  of  having  been 
for  some  time  entirely  uncontrollable  by  her  parents. 
In  the  advanced  stages  she  had  given  false  names  and 
addresses  upon  ordering  valuable  clothing,  while 
nothing  left  lying  about  anywhere  near  her  was  safe. 
She  had  even  learned  all  the  procedure  of  pawning,  as 
a  secondary  development,  having  discovered  that  to 
take  things  of  great  value  meant  further  possibilities 
and  delights  quite  beyond  the  mere  satisfaction  of  a 
craving.  She  now  enjoyed  the  sensation  of  defeating 
others  and  the  idea  that  they  were  powerless  to 
prevent  her  depredations.  She  was  a  most  amiable 
girl  and  showed  signs  of  being  well-informed  and 
clever.  She  had  no  supraconscious  answer  to  the 
question  as  to  "why  she  did  these  things."  She 
simply  replied  with  an  artful  smile :  "  I  don't  know." 
Treatment  by  neuroinduction  stopped  her  telling 
falsehoods  within  a  week,  when  she  also  exhibited  the 
sincerest  wish  to  do  everything  that  was  right,  making 
me  cautiously  suspicious  of  the  real  genuineness  of 
her  remorse  in  one  so  capable  in  cunning.  She  never 
took  anything  belonging  to  another  from  the  first 
treatment,  and  seemed  very  happy  to  learn  how  to  win 
the  trust  of  those  about  her.  It  is  now  three  years 
since  she  was  treated,  and  during  this  time  she  has  been 
so  happy  and  safe  that  I  would,  with  the  utmost  confi- 


246  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

dence,  recommend  her  as  a  teacher  of  others  who 
should  exhibit  disorderly  tendencies.  She  is  now  as 
industriously  capable  in  right  conduct  as  she  was 
formerly  studious  in  wrong-doing.  Her  appearance 
altered  greatly;  from  looking  furtive,  miserable,  and 
older  than  her  age,  because  somewhat  drawn  in  the 
face,  she  became  brighter,  more  open-eyed,  more  intelli- 
gent and  younger  looking.  She  only  required  a  few 
easy  lessons  before  she  altered  negative  trends  of 
thought  to  positive,  during  which  time  analysis  dis- 
covered a  very  early  instance  of  stealing,  on  which 
occasion  she  had  experienced  a  feeling  of  intense  anger 
on  being  reproved,  which  had  made  her  feel  defiant, 
and  inclined  to  "do  it  again."  Later  on  she  found 
that  she  could  "make  it  pay,"  and  that  there  was  no 
reason  why  she  should  not  continue  to  steal,  "having 
got  the  name  for  it."  She  further  explained  that  the 
knowledge  that  her  mother  was  so  ashamed  of  her  and 
so  anxious  to  keep  her  wickedness  from  the  knowledge 
of  others  made  her  bolder  still. 

Kleptomania  is  very  often  associated  with  some 
sexual  strain.  Women  who  have  some  growth  or 
disease  of  the  sexual  organs  are  especially  prone  to 
kleptomania  of  a  selfish  or  spiteful  order.  The 
thoughts  running  in  the  mind  of  one  patient  were 
these :  "  I  have  troubles  which  others  do  not  seem  to 
have.  I  wish  they  had  something  of  the  kind.  I 
cannot  give  them  any  very  well,  but  I  can  take  some- 
thing belonging  to  them,  and  I  will  do  so."  Such 
sufferers  appear  as  though  they  wish  to  vent  their  spite 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  24; 

in  one  way  or  another,  and  the  secret  satisfaction  is 
found  to  be  more  gratifying  to  self  and  more  successful 
than  anything  open  could  be.  I  have  known  patients 
to  be  pained  by  the  disadvantages  of  some  illness, 
who  have  felt  "hateful"  towards  others  who  are  well. 
"Get  out  of  my  sight,"  I  once  heard  a  wife  remark, 
with  tense  anger,  to  her  husband,  who  stood  sympa- 
thising at  her  bedside.  "  You  are  not  suffering  from 
cancer;  you  are  well.  You  don't  know  what  I  feel." 
Toxaemia  is  sometimes  an  "arc"  in  the  "vicious 
circling  "  of  this  class  of  case. 

Strivings  and  yearnings  after  a  lover  will  some- 
times bring  on  kleptomania.  Anxiety  lest  there  shall  be 
failure  to  attract,  or  a  great  desire  to  possess  some- 
thing in  order  to  help  on  a  closer  relationship,  may  be 
exhibited,  together  with  a  certain  amount  of  jealousy 
because  others  are  seen  to  be  so  happy  and  so  much 
better  off. 

There  is  another  form  of  kleptomania  in  which  early 
trauma  may  be  found,  in  adult  males  more  commonly, 
when  self-flattery  seems  to  have  been  the  dominant 
error  of  emotion.  A  boy,  having  once  prided  himself 
on  his  cleverness  in  being  able  to  take  things  without 
being  "found  out,"  will  very  quickly  develop  cunning 
and  untruthfulness,  and  may  go  to  great  lengths  to 
satisfy  his  vanity.  I  have  had  occasion  to  analyse 
such  cases,  from  which  I  will  select  one,  that  of  a  man 
thirty-seven  years  of  age.  He  owned  a  lucrative 
business;  by  means  of  a  police  trap,  he  was  caught 
stealing  from  a  house  which  he  was  surveying  for 


248  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

repairs.  He  had  gone  so  far  as  to  believe,  after  years 
of  practice,  that  a  man  in  his  position  would  never 
be  suspected ;  all  the  time  he  fed  his  conceited  notions 
by  instances  showing  how  clever  he  was  as  compared 
with  others.  He  had  felt  obliged  to  run  many  risks 
since  his  school-days,  until  there  came  a  time  when  he 
was  overworked;  then  the  very  strongest  inclinations 
developed,  with  a  newly  added  spirit  of  contempt  for 
people  whom  he  knew  were  not  so  clever  as  he.  He 
had  impulses  to  take  something  to  prove  his  "smart- 
ness," recalling  instances  of  what  he  used  to  do  so 
often  years  ago.  Anxiety  to  obtain  material  advan- 
tage while  suffering  from  overstrain  in  business  had 
also  made  him  abnormally  jealous. 

When  arrested  by  the  police  he  coolly  displayed  the 
most  earnest  diligence  in  defending  himself,  exhibit- 
ing almost  an  insane  self-persuasion  that  he  was  really 
too  good  a  man  to  do  anything  wrong.  Such  was 
the  cleavage  in  his  personality  that  he  did  not  appear 
to  be  in  the  least  ashamed ;  he  seemed  to  feel  the  incon- 
venience which  his  arrest  was  to  his  wife  and  himself, 
and  the  loss  it  meant  to  him  in  his  business,  more  than 
anything  else.  He  answered  his  friends*  questions, 
and  my  own,  with  an  air  of  injured  guilt,  as  though 
everybody  had  better  be  careful  what  they  said  or 
did  with  him,  all  the  time  appearing  to  carry  in  his 
mind  the  idea  that  he  was  really  very  clever  and  cap- 
able and  meant  to  show  it,  whatever  happened — as, 
indeed,  he  was  well  known  to  be,  both  in  respect  of  his 
business  and  in  his  public  appointments. 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  m 

Success  had  brought  his  ultimate  downfall,  for  it 
had  prompted  overwork.  In  the  strain  of  his  position, 
worry  and  ill-health  repeatedly  admitted  some  of  the 
negative  tendencies  and  reminiscences  of  his  boyhood. 
He  was  not  punished,  though  the  offences  with  which 
he  was  charged  had  been  continuing  for  two  years, 
and  they  were  very  many;  on  the  contrary,  in  a  few 
weeks'  time  he  was  appointed  to  a  very  high  position, 
the  case  having  being  considered  by  influential  friends 
to  be  one  of  temporary  mental  aberration. 

People  of  artistic  ability  who  are  very  ambitious  and 
yet  unsuccessful  will  sometimes  develop  kleptomania, 
the  underlying  aberration  being  of  a  desperately 
jealous  nature;  victims  of  this  disorder  usually  suffer 
from  dyspepsia,  with  loss  of  weight,  due  to  worry. 

I  am  of  opinion  that  not  only  should  all  cases  of 
theft  which  are  committed  by  those  who  are  not 
habitual  criminals  be  sifted  by  a  medical  expert,  but 
that  all  criminals  should  be  to  some  extent  scientific- 
ally analysed,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  nature  of 
their  crimes.  Every  prison  or  remand  establishment 
should  be  in  a  position  to  call  in  a  medical  analyst  who 
has  had  some  experience  of  nervous  and  mental  dis- 
orders, so  that  each  prisoner  may  have  the  nature  and 
causation  of  his  offence  gauged  before  sentence  is  pro- 
nounced. This  may  seem  to  be  a  counsel  of  too  great 
perfection,  but  we  shall  move  in  this  direction  before 
many  years  pass.  That  eminent  doctors  should 
appear  in  defence,  when  crime  is  committed  by  the 
classes,  while  the  masses  must  take  their  chance  with- 


250  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

out  such  sound  advice,  cannot  make  for  the  best  of  all 
possible  worlds. 

Homicide 

The  recommendations  of  the  last  paragraph  may  be 
advanced  with  still  greater  insistence  in  respect  of 
homicide  or  outrageous  assaults  of  any  kind,  for  very 
many  of  these  cases  are  the  result  of  mental  aberration. 
Every  doctor  knows  how  often  a  person  suffering  from 
masked  or  suppressed  epilepsy  may  develop  insane 
tendencies  to  attack  man  or  beast. 

Early  signs  of  lust  for  blood  should  be  promptly 
dealt  with  by  the  doctor,  when  detected,  if  serious 
tragedy  is  to  be  avoided  later  on ;  the  love  of  killing 
even  birds  or  small  animals  in  childhood  or  youth  may 
develop  very  dangerously  in  after-life.  The  instance 
has  come  to  my  notice  of  a  boy  of  aristocratic  and 
wealthy  parentage  who  became  so  fascinated  by  the 
sight  of  death  being  inflicted  on  animals — having  once 
seen  sheep  killed  in  a  slaughter-house — that  he  subse- 
quently sought  to  have  a  slaughter-house  built  adjoin- 
ing his  amateur  carpenter^s  shop,  so  that  he  could 
himself  superintend  the  killing  of  animals. 

The  following  case  may  be  found  interesting  and 
instructive : 

I  was  asked  by  a  humanitarian  friend  to  see  the 
pet  dog  of  a  lady  which  had  had  its  tongue  cut  out, 
for  not  only  did  she  wish  to  know  what  should  be 
done  to  the  dog,  but  she  desired  to  have  the  case 
investigated,  so  that  the  miscreant  might  be  brought 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  251 

to  justice,  there  being  no  clue  as  to  who  had  done  such 
a  cruel  thing,  or  what  the  real  motive  might  have  been. 
On  close  examination  I  found  that  the  tongue  had  been 
cut  to  the  extent  of  two-thirds  of  its  breadth,  while 
the  remaining  third  had  been  pulled  and  torn  through. 
The  chances  of  the  dog  living  happily  were  so  very 
poor  that  I  ordered  it  to  be  shot.  In  the  presence  of 
three  specially  chosen  inspectors  of  different  authori- 
tative bodies  I  then  conducted  an  autopsy.  I  found 
that  in  addition  to  the  cutting  and  pulling  of  the 
nature  described  there  were  two  small  cuts  on  the 
lower  lip  near  the  angle  of  the  jaw.  I  concluded  from 
the  one-third  of  torn  tissue  that  the  dog  had  strenu- 
ously resisted,  and  had  frantically  pulled  away  from 
the  person  cutting  the  tongue.  I  considered  that  the 
two  cuts  in  the  lower  lip  were  made  in  the  desperate 
efforts  of  the  person  to  hold  the  dog  in  order  to  complete 
his  criminal  work.  I  therefore  thought  it  extremely 
likely  that  some  part  of  the  guilty  person  had  also  been 
cut — probably  the  outer  side  of  the  left  hand. 

Upon  this  conclusion  the  police  inspector  went  to 
work,  to  search  for  a  person  having  a  cut  hand.  A 
man  was  found  within  twenty -four  hours,  with  a  white 
bandage  upon  his  left  forefinger.  The  person  hap- 
pened to  occupy  such  a  prominent  position  that  it  was 
at  first  deemed  impossible  that  he  should  be  the  mis- 
creant. But  more  inquiries  were  made,  and  further 
confirmations  accumulated.  Yet  there  was  not  suffi- 
cient evidence  to  charge  him;  not  only  did  it  seem 
almost  impossible  to  establish  proof,  but  there  was  also 


^2  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  risk  of  a  charge  of  libel  and  slander  being  made 
against  the  police.  I  made  further  inquiries  myself, 
and  found  evidence  of  lust  for  blood  and  a  tendency 
to  seek  revenge  in  the  history  of  the  suspected  man; 
he  was  also  known  to  be  greatly  addicted  to  speaking 
to  children  in  a  suspicious  manner.  Steps  were 
taken;  he  promptly  left  the  neighbourhood.  I  had 
no  hesitation  in  warning  the  authorities  that  such  a 
person  would  be  likely  to  commit  still  more  serious 
offences. 

Some  very  strange  cases  of  homicidal  tendencies 
have  come  before  my  notice  from  time  to  time.  I  will 
give  short  notes  of  some  of  the  more  instructive  : 

A  distinguished  girl  student  at  one  of  the  leading 
schools  of  learning  alarmed  her  sister  in  the  midst 
of  important  examination  work  by  telling  her  that  she 
was  developing  ideas  of  killing  her  father  and  brother. 
She  was  sent  to  me  by  a  neurologist  as  being  a  suitable 
case  for  "suggestion."  On  being  questioned,  she 
cried,  and  explained  that  her  ideas  were  extending 
even  beyond  those  already  referred  to,  and  added  : 
"  The  worst  of  it  is  they  are  the  people  I  am  most  fond 
of."  Neuroinduction  and  analysis  proved  the  earliest 
indications  of  disorder  to  have  been  of  a  sexual  nature. 
Amid  the  enthusiasm  aroused  by  lectures  and  studies 
she  had  felt  curious  about  her  sexual  organs,  and  when 
a  male  lecturer  appeared  before  the  students  she  had 
been  frequently  troubled  with  thoughts  about  the 
anatomical  formation  of  both  sexes.  She  was  found 
to  be  vain,  ambitious,  and  proud  of  being  above  the 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  253 

average  in  her  work;  very  shortly  after  her  abnormal 
ideas  had  developed  she  became  far  more  inclined  to 
enjoy  the  curiosity  which  others  displayed  about  her 
homicidal  thoughts  than  to  be  at  all  serious  about 
them. 

As  is  common  in  many  nervous  and  mental  dis- 
orders, she  became  extremely  obstinate  while  neuro- 
induction  was  proceeding.  I  frequently  observed  her 
tightened  lips  and  defiantly-clenched  fists  when  con- 
versing with  her,  the  interviews  having  the  effect  of 
arousing  a  vigorous  contest  between  healthier  trains 
of  thought  and  the  impulses  of  disordered  ideas. 
There  came  a  period  when  she  broke  away  entirely, 
and  refused  to  be  treated  any  more. 

It  seemed  as  though  she  wished  to  retain  the 
capacity  for  arousing  interest  in  her  abnormal  ideas. 
After  forty-eight  hours  truancy  she  returned,  as  I 
expected,  having  been  clearly  convinced  by  her  sister 
that  she  was  in  some  respects  much  better  already. 

It  is  extremely  fortunate  for  such  people  that,  though 
they  may  for  some  time  be  drawn  by  "negatives" 
during  treatment,  they  are  actuated  even  more  power- 
fully by  "positives,"  if  only  these  can  be  inculcated 
sufficiently  before  any  "kicking"  commences.  After 
resuming  treatment  this  patient  proceeded  without  a 
hitch  to  perfect  recovery,  and  in  due  course  renewed 
her  studies.  She  passed  her  examinations  with 
honours,  and  has  since  been  engaged  most  successfully 
in  teaching,  never  having  displayed  any  abnormal 
traits  whatever. 


254  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Here  is  another  case :    A  girl  had  married.     But 
there  was  such  a  history  of  nervous  disorder  in  her 
case  as  made  it  very  questionable  whether  she  should 
have  done  so.     The  more  serious  indications  had  been 
kept    from    her   husband's    knowledge.     She    herself 
doubted  whether  she  was  mentally  sound,  and  while 
going  through  the  months  of  gestation  (it  being  her 
first  pregnancy)  she  developed  emotional  ideas  as  to 
the  serious  responsibility  of  bringing  a  child  into  the 
world;   she  also  began  to  worry  more  particularly 
because  she  thought  the  child  might  be  like  herself — 
or  even  worse.     When  born  the  child   possessed   a 
slightly  abnormally  shaped  head.     From  the  birth  of 
the  child  onwards  the  mother  gradually  developed  the 
notion  that  she  ought  to  kill  it  in  some  way  :  she  later 
proceeded  to  worry  over  the  precise  way  in  which  she 
had  better  do  this.     She  also  frequently  thought  of 
suicide.     That  the  baby  happened  to  be  physically  a 
fine  specimen  helped  me  considerably  in  my  treatment 
of  the  patient,  as  did  also  the  fact  that  it  gave  clear 
signs  of  unusual  intelligence.    The  mother,  now  realis- 
ing these  advantages,  became  all  the  more  satisfied 
to  keep  it.     She  made  a  very  good  recovery,  and 
became  a  good  mother  and  mistress  of  her  house. 
Analysis  revealed  sexual  perversions  from  the  age  of 
six,  while  she  had  always  been  given  to  cunning  and 
mealy-mouthed  dissimulation. 

Vanity  seems  to  arouse  retaliatory  and  spiteful 
ideas  on  the  part  of  some  expectant  mothers ;  such  may 
develop  puerperal  mania,  and  impulses  to  kill  the 


CRIMINAL  INCLINATIONS  255 

infant  when  it  is  born.  Analysis  has  revealed  in  other 
cases  the  development  of  anger  and  hatred  on  account 
of  the  use  of  instruments  at  birth,  and  of  disgust  at 
what  has  to  them  seemed  a  mutilation  which  they  have 
been  forced  to  undergo,  and  which  has  made  them  feel, 
as  they  have  looked  at  themselves  afterwards  in  the 
mirror,  "sick  to  see  the  wreckage,"  thinking  that  the 
chances  of  enjoying  life  in  future  would  be  hopelessly 
marred. 

I  have  given  various  analyses,  readily  recognising 
the  fact  that  the  psychiatrist  may  have  other  explana- 
tions which  may  perhaps  be  equally  valid  in  the 
majority  of  cases  of  puerperal  mania  that  come 
before  him.  I  frankly  admit  that  I  have  treated  only 
a  few  of  these  cases ;  and  I  write  from  the  point  of  view 
of  a  psychotherapist  who  has  been  successful  with  these 
few.  Of  course  I  admit  that  the  "negative  arc"  of 
toxaemia  enters  as  a  factor  in  some  instances.  I  am 
also  mindful  of  the  fact  that  some  of  the  more  severe 
cases  have  a  history  of  epilepsy  in  the  family,  and 
frequently  of  insanity,  as  Sir  George  Savage  has  so 
well  set  forth  in  his  works. 

In  considering  crime  in  the  adult,  or  bad  behaviour 
in  the  young,  the  question  has  often  arisen  in  the  minds 
of  criminologists,  neurologists,  judges,  and  governors 
of  gaols,  as  to  what  is  the  best  form  of  punishment. 
Before  a  remedy  can  be  applied  satisfactorily  to  a 
disease  or  disorder  of  body  it  is  a  commonplace  that 
a  correct  diagnosis  should  be  made :  it  would  seem 
that  it  should  be  precisely  the  same  with  disorders  of 


256  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  mind.  Whether  we  have  to  deal  with  cases  of 
trifling  misbehaviour,  or  have  to  judge  homicide,  the 
mind  should  be  sufficiently  analysed.  The  pages  of 
this  book  offer  ample  evidence  of  the  fact  that  under 
certain  circumstances  sufferers  will  reveal  their  own 
inner  thoughts.  I  have  endeavoured  to  establish  the 
fact,  in  a  later  chapter  on  analysis,  that  under  a  train- 
ing which  balances  and  levels  the  thinking  processes, 
and  which  also  gives  a  stimulus  to  healthy  energy, 
patients  will  very  largely  analyse  themselves,  and  will, 
in  their  own  interests,  find  a  reason  for  revealing 
themselves  to  their  advisers.  Thus  confessions  of 
guilt  may  be  made,  not  under  compulsion  of  the  rack 
or  an  inquisition  "  of  the  third  degree,"  but  as  a  result 
of  seeing  things  in  a  truer  light  and  in  a  better  mental 
perspective,  not  under  threat  compelled  by  the  will  of 
another,  but  on  account  of  the  restoration  of  the 
patient's  own  will  power — confusions  and  subcon- 
scious chaos  having  been  cleared  away. 

The  medical  director  of  the  psychiatric  clinic  of  the 
American  Sing  Sing  prison  has  reported  in  the  Journal 
of  Mental  Hygiene  of  April,  191 8,  "that  no  less  than 
59  per  cent,  of  608  cases,  in  addition  to  evincing 
various  conduct  disorders — the  direct  cause  of  their 
imprisonment — also  exhibited  some  form  of  nervous 
or  mental  abnormality,  which  in  one  way  or  another 
had  conditioned  their  behaviour."  This  report  is 
eloquent  enough  for  anything,  and  it  emanates  from  a 
country  that  is  far  ahead  of  Great  Britain  in  the  study 
both  of  criminals  and  mental  deficients. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

EARLY   MORAL  AND   EDUCATIONAL 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  sooner  abnormal  ten- 
dencies are  discerned  and  treated  the  better,  for  the 
reasons  already  given ;  it  is  the  rule  that  the  younger 
the  patients  the  more  easily  are  they  treated  by  neuro- 
induction  when  supraconscious  guidance  has  been 
found  insufficient.  That  the  young  are  very  open  to 
receive  information  is  a  commonplace,  but  they  are  also 
prone  to  develop  great  confusion  in  the  supraconscious, 
for  reasons  which  it  would  be  superfluous  to  mention. 
There  is  a  higher  degree  of  receptivity  in  the  subcon- 
scious of  the  young  than  exists  in  older  people;  the 
natural  desire  to  acquire  understanding  is  great  in  the 
growing  and  developing  body  and  mind. 

We  have  seen  in  a  foregoing  chapter  how  in  the 
adult  the  memory  depends  upon  subconscious  fitness 
and  balance,  how  it  may  be  restored  from  complete 
abeyance,  and  improved  when  weak,  by  subconscious 
training,  while  greater  powers  of  concentration  and 
detachment  may  be  developed.  It  follows,  therefore, 
that  nothing  can  be  so  beneficial  as  neuroinduction 
when  defects  of  mind  power  or  abnormalities  of  func- 
tioning show  themselves  in  the  days  of  education. 

257  17 


258  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

Even  absolutely  normal  people  may  be  improved  by 
neuroinduction,  just  as  an  average  individual  may 
develop    more    powerful    muscles    by    training.     In 
America  subconscious  training  has  been  tried  in  the 
normal   with   wonderful   results,  enabling   pupils   to 
acquire    accomplishments    of    a    very    high    order. 
Nevertheless   I    distinctly    and   emphatically    advise 
against  any  undue  subconscious  "cramming"  of  the 
young,  as  I  certainly  would  in  the  case  of  ordinary 
education.     I   consider   that   those   psychotherapists 
who  have  succeeded  in  producing  exceedingly  clever 
and  capable  children — almost  phenomenally  so — have 
exceeded  the  limits  of  the  justifiable.     I  consider  that 
all  we  have  any  right  to  aim  at  in  any  method  of 
dealing  with  the  young  is  reasonable  excellence,  not 
supernormal  precocity.     But  although  I  think  there 
may  be  danger  in  forcing  the  young  too  far,  it  is  only 
fair  to  remark  that   I   have  yet  to  learn  that  any 
untoward  effect  has  actually  been  produced.     Can- 
didly, I  do  not  like  the  idea  of  aiming  at  an  abnormal 
development  of  intellectual  power,  even  in  a  useful 
direction.     But  I  may  be  too  cautious  in  this  matter. 
The  fact  is  that  I  prefer  to  be  cautious  for  the  time 
being.     I  do  not  think  one  could  possibly  overstrain 
adults  in  subconscious  education;  but  I  do  think  it 
may  be  possible  to  overstrain  those  who,  because  they 
are  not  old  enough,  are  not  completely   developed 
anatomically  or  physiologically. 

Difficult  boys  and  girls,  and  spoilt  children,  will,  of 
course,  very  greatly  benefit  by  neuroinduction,  especi- 


EARLY  MORAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  259 

ally  when  their  bad  behaviour  has  prevented  any  suc- 
cessful progress  which  ought  to  have  been  made. 
Many  badly  behaved  and  "  incorrigible  "  children  are 
really  very  capable  if  they  are  put  on  the  right  road. 
It  is  well  known  that  some  do  no  good  at  school,  yet 
distinguish  themselves  later  on.  History  records 
plenty  of  such  examples.  In  these  cases  the  emotional 
power  of  some  chance  interest  has  produced  an  auto- 
matic eagerness  to  cultivate — on  certain  lines,  in  the 
midst  of  their  drifting — some  employment  which  has 
led  to  success.  Perhaps  a  hobby  has  gripped  and 
fascinated  the  growing  mind,  and  has  subsequently  been 
turned  to  profitable  account.  Extreme  intelligence 
may  itself  be  a  cause  of  confusion  as  well  as  chief  con- 
tributor to  the  supraconscious  delights  of  life  in  the 
young ;  the  mixture  may  make  for  over-indulgence,  and 
so  cause  parental  despair,  leading  finally  to  the  buying 
of  a  single  ticket  to  one  of  the  Colonies.  It  may  well  be 
imagined,  after  one  has  made  an  extensive  study  of 
various  mentalities,  how  many  youths  might  have  dis- 
tinguished themselves  in  the  past  had  psychotherapy 
been  brought  to  bear  upon  them  in  order  to  create  a 
better  balance  between  the  emotional  impulses  and 
a  reasonable  calmness  of  the  subconscious  under- 
standing, the  latter  being  then  enabled  to  control  the 
former. 

Then,  again,  many  boys  and  girls  have  been  known 
to  win  excellent  reputations,  and  to  receive  the  best 
of  reports  on  leaving  school,  who  have  gone  altogether 
wrong  directly  afterwards.     One  of  my  patients  had 


26o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

been  dux  in  both  school  work  and  games,  and  had 
taken  to  drink  within  a  year  after  the  completion  of 
his    education.     He   had    been    "good"    under    the 
pleasant  stimulus  of  winning  plaudits  for  successes  in 
certain  grooves,  while  being  under  a  control  which  he 
strictly  regarded  and  wholly  respected.     When  away 
from  this,  the  world  was  at  once  too  fascinating  and 
too  exciting  for  him;  like  the  horse  at  the  corn  bin, 
he  wanted  to  take  more  than  was  good  for  him,  so  soon 
as  he  felt  perfecdy  free  to  help  himself  ad  lib. 

Neuroinduction  will  enable  a  person  to  derive 
pleasure  from  hard,  plain,  ambitious  thinking,  who 
perhaps  could  never  reach  such  under  any  other  cir- 
cumstances. Many  a  boy  has  been  packed  off  abroad 
to  find  his  way  in  a  pitiless  unhelpful  world,  unhappy, 
yet  knowing  that  he  possessed  capabilities,  never  to 
rise  again,  who,  if  he  had  been  placed  under  a  psycho- 
therapist of  quite  elementary  powers,  would  have  been 
saved  to  become  a  credit  to  his  family.  If  there  are 
instances  of  "spontaneous  cure" — as  I  believe  there 
are  many  of  them — then  all  I  can  say  is  that  there 
would  be  many  more  under  scientific  treatment.  I 
have  known  several  "  bad  boys  "  return  home  to  family 
reconciliation,  ten  and  even  fifteen  years  after  they 
were  sent  away  for  bad  behaviour,  who  have  finally 
been  very  successful.  One,  for  instance,  returned  when 
his  father  died.  Another  worked  his  passage  home 
and  begged  for  reinstatement.  He  need  not  have  been 
sent  abroad  at  all  had  his  father  been  better  advised. 
Of  all  tendencies  in  childhood  which  make  for  the 


EARLY  MORAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  261 

graver  disorders,  which  foster  and  feed  them  after 
they  have  been  generated,  falsehood  is  probably  the 
commonest  and  the  most  powerful.     It  is  often  the  very 
first  "arc"  in  a  life  of  "negative  circling,"  and  there 
may   be  inheritance  of  a   disposition   to   falsehood. 
Should   the   untruth   happen   to   succeed,   from   the 
youngster's  point  of  view,  in  its  first  manifestation, 
the  results  may  be  disastrous  in  their  tendency  to 
bring  in  other  "  negative  arcs  "  in  natural  consequence. 
On  the  one  hand,  falsehood  may  lead  to  serious  crime ; 
on  the  other  hand,  it  may  result  in  ultimate  psychas- 
thenia  and  mental  derangement.     Therefore  it  is  of 
cardinal  importance  that  first  instances  of  falsehood 
should  be  very  wisely  dealt  with;  not  too  harshly,  but 
by  reasoning,  which  will  arouse  sufficient  shame  to 
create  a  real  desire  for  avoidance  in  the  future.    Suffi- 
cient fear  should  be  produced  to  cause  the  child  to 
choose  the  truth  more  carefully  and  decidedly;  the 
sense  of  self-respect  should  be  encouraged  sufficiently 
to  fashion  positive  "  arcs  "  rather  than  negative ;  and 
the  sense  of  emulation  should  be  ehcited  by  early 
lessons  in  proportion  and  true  balance.    "Honesty  is 
the  best  policy  "  should  be  taught  as  a  practicable  and 
profitable  rule  of  conduct,  rather  than  as  a  copybook 
maxim  or  a  vaguely  religious  injunction — at  a  time  of 
life  when  everything  is  new,  strange,  and  very  often 
difficult.     The  reward   which   right   conduct   brings 
should  be  made  obvious  by  interesting  and  emotional 
object-lessons.    Those  who  exhibit  a  tendency  to  false- 
hood acquired  by  inheritance  gan  b^  changed  for  the 


262  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

better  with  very  little  difficulty  by  the  psychotherapy 
of  to-day. 

I  have  so  often  found  sufferers  from  mental  and 
nervous  disorders  to  be  saturated  with  a  tendency  to 
falsehood — analysis  proving  almost  as  frequently  that 
it  appeared  as  a  very  early  trait — that  I  feel  bound  to 
lay  very  particular  stress  upon  it  in  these  pages. 
When  it  constitutes  a  later  "  arc  "  in  a  patient  already 
afflicted  with  difficulty  of  thought,  and  possibly  also 
hampered  with  phobias  or  abnormal  cravings,  it  may 
not  be  so  easy  to  deal  with ;  but  whenever  and  wherever 
found,  the  correction  of  it  by  neuroinduction  is  most 
effectual  in  the  treatment  of  all  disorders  of  thought, 
for  this  involves  an  emotional  straightening  out  of  the 
processes  of  thought;  thus  the  whole,  mentality  is 
eased. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  cases  of  psych  asthenia  I  ever 
treated  successfully  was  conquered  from  the  moment 
I  found  a  deliberate  and  clearly  distinguishable  false- 
hood in  conversation  and  dealt  with  it  on  the  spot. 
The  patient  had  found  this  "negative  arc"  valuable 
to  her  after  many  years  of  difficulty ;  and  so  cleverly 
did  she  exercise  it  that  nobody  was  able  to  bring  any 
instance  home  to  her.  She  was  securely  hedged 
and  fenced  against  opposition  by  her  environment  and 
her  influence  over  all  the  personnel  of  her  household, 
and  everybody  in  or  out  of  the  house,  servants,  mother, 
and  doctors — all  seemed  powerless  before  the  well- 
trained  ingenuity  of  her  ingrained  evil  habit.  The 
result  of  any  attempt  to  thwart  her  was  usually  an 


EARLY  MORAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  263 

outburst  of  wrath,  which  caused  yet  greater  disorder 
of  thought ;  her  whole  mentaHty  had  become  a  mass  of 
contradictions;  the  particular  tendency  had  reached 
such  development  that  in  the  later  stages  she  appeared 
to  believe  that  many  of  her  falsehoods  were  really  true, 
so  divided  into  definite  sections  did  her  thinking 
become. 

All  this  was  clearly  demonstrated  during  her 
treatment  by  trapping  of  instances  of  falsehood,  and 
by  analysis  of  her  case.  Each  lie  was,  as  gracefully 
as  possible,  almost  pleasantly,  pinned  upon  her  night- 
dress, so  to  speak,  for  she  was  bed-ridden.  The 
exposure  was  made  as  an  "  arc  "  of  positive  "  circling," 
out  of  which  other  "  arcs  "  were  to  be  fashioned  swiftly, 
one  after  another,  until  a  perfectly  normal  condition 
was  attained.  She  was  greatly  impressed  by  being 
clearly  "found  out."  A  sense  of  shame  produced  an 
ample  flow  of  auto-suggestion.  Subconscious  auto- 
analysis  and  synthesis  further  enabled  her  to  co-ordin- 
ate her  ideas  to  the  extent  of  effecting  a  clear  self- 
exposure  ;  she  began  to  take  infinite  care  that  nothing 
but  the  whole  truth  should  be  told  for  the  future. 

Such  a  case  serves  to  indicate  very  emphatically 
the  power  which  a  free  debauch  of  falsehood  can  exer- 
cise in  "vicious  circling."  No  matter  what  variety 
of  psychic  disorder  is  considered,  this  particular 
"arc"  will  usually  present  the  greatest  difficulty  to 
the  doctor,  for  the  simple  reason  that  attempts  at  cor- 
rection may  cause  a  hopeless  rupture  of  the  relation- 
ship unless  all  are  very  carefully  prepared  beforehand, 


264  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

A  schoolmaster  was  sent  to  me  suffering  from  in- 
somnia. I  soon  found  the  case  to  be  one  of  scare  with 
a  considerable  amount  of  misrepresentation.  To 
make  his  anxiety  and  trouble  still  more  convincing  to 
me,  after  the  first  interview  and  treatment  he  added 
rheumatic  pains  as  a  "negative  arc."  It  was  his 
opinion  that  the  insomnia  was  due  to  rheumatic  pains, 
and  that  if  the  latter  disappeared  so  would  the  former. 
I  argued  with  him  that  if  the  rheumatism  were  genuine 
it  would  go  under  the  medicine  I  should  give  him,  for 
there  obviously  could  not  be  much  of  it ;  if  not  genuine 
then  any  tendency  he  might  have  to  tell  falsehoods 
would  go.  We  should  see !  The  result  was  that  the 
former  did  go ;  his  subconscious  mind  found  the  argu- 
ment too  straight  to  resist.  He  attempted  occasional 
opposition,  but  always  found  that  he  only  succeeded  in 
further  exposing  his  tendency  to  exaggerate  and  mis- 
represent. 

I  afterwards  remarked  to  him  that  he  surely  must 
often  teach  his  boys  to  be  perfectly  accurate  in  their 
answers,  and  to  conduct  themselves  properly,  which 
caused  a  slight  increase  of  coloration  in  his  neck,  as 
he  turned  his  head  to  look  out  of  the  window,  making 
an  uneasy  movement  of  the  mouth  to  one  side. 
Analysis  was  required  once  more  in  his  case;  sexual 
perversion  was  discovered,  having  existed  since  boy- 
hood. The  idea  of  rheumatism  having  been  cured, 
carrying  with  it  four-fifths  of  the  insomnia,  the  balance 
afterwards  disappeared  on  treatment  of  the  sexual  dis- 
order.    The  patient  got  the  best  lesson  pf  his  life  as 


EARLY  MORAL  AND  EDUCATIONAL  265 

regards  perversion  of  the  truth;  the  wrongfulness 
of  it  had  been  appreciated  all  along  by  one  part  of 
his  personality,  but  a  conflicting  idea  of  the  advis- 
ability of  employing  it  in  certain  extremities  had  been 
persisted  in  quite  studiously  by  another  part.  He 
explained  afterwards  that  he  knew  I  should  cure  him 
from  the  very  first  interview;  he  subconsciously 
realised  that  I  was  pursuing  the  right  track. 

Literature  for  the  young  requires  wise  censorship. 
The  question  is  comparatively  immaterial  as  regards 
those  over  the  age  of  youth.  Mr.  McKenna  once 
replied  to  a  deputation  which  waited  upon  him,  asking 
him  to  urge  legislation  and  more  vigilant  administra- 
tion in  respect  to  demoralising  literature,  as  follows : 

"  The  police  know  that  a  very  large  quantity  of  liter- 
ature of  this  kind  was  circulated,  unfortunately  in  the 
most  improper  quarters  possible,  in  schools  amongst 
young  boys  and  young  girls.  He  was  a  supporter  of 
freedom  of  trade,  provided  it  was  for  the  public  good, 
but  this  trade  could  not  be  described  as  being  for  the 
public  good.  He  was  grateful  to  the  deputation  for 
strengthening  the  hands  of  the  Home  Office  on  this 
question,  and  he  assured  them  that  they  would  find  the 
Home  Office  only  too  anxious  to  carry  out  the  wishes 
that  had  been  expressed." 

It  may  usefully  be  repeated  that  the  young  are  par- 
ticularly amenable  to  direction  by  neuroinduction ; 
they  respond  to  suggestion  to  a  far  higher  degree 
than  do  adults ;  their  mental  and  physical  mechanism 
is  ripe  for  learning,  they  possess  youthful  respon- 
siveness  and   eager  desire  to   "make  good";   their 


266  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

mentality  has  not  become  encrusted  and  seasoned 
by  many  years  of  confusional  experience  and  with 
buffetings  incidental  to  a  more  responsible  later 
life.  They  make  the  very  best  plastic  material  to 
work  upon.  Every  child  which  is  difficult  to  direct, 
whether  of  the  poorer  or  richer  classes,  should  be 
sent  to  a  sufficiently  experienced  psychotherapist, 
who  need  not  even  be  very  highly  experienced.  I 
could  train  a  hundred  doctors  in  a  couple  of  weeks, 
who  had  never  studied  the  subject  before,  to  treat 
cases  very  successfully.  All  I  should  require  would 
be  that  they  were  men  of  average  tact  and  common- 
sense,  and  preferably  those  who  had  had  some  years 
of  good  general  professional  experience.  If  medical 
men  were  to  study  on  their  own  account  they  might 
become  first-class  psychotherapists,  able  successfully 
to  treat  various  functional  disorders,  in  from  two  to 
five  years,  by  the  aid  of  such  a  book  as  this.  The 
work  is  no  more  difficult  than  painting,  piano-playing, 
or  golf.  But  on  the  other  hand  it  can  hardly  be  much 
easier  than  these,  if  all-round  proficiency  is  to  be 
arrived  at. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CASES  INCIDENTAL  TO  WAR 

Cases  of  nerve-shock,  shell-shock,  insanity,  the  inhibi- 
tion of  special  senses,  and  so  on,  as  observed  in  the 
Great  War,  have  afforded  no  better  material  for  study 
than  has  been  found  in  times  of  peace — no  particular 
features  for  which  anyone  employing  treatment  by 
suggestion  has  not  been  thoroughly  prepared  before 
the  war.  Treatment  by  neuroinduction  and  analysis 
will  reveal  the  extent  and  the  nature  of  the  disorder 
as  surely  as  X  rays  will  detect  metal  in  muscle,  if  not 
quite  so  quickly;  and  it  will  materially  assist  us  to 
form  conclusions  as  to  how  much  organic  injury  of  the 
brain  there  may  be  in  particular  cases. 

Very  great  use  has  been  found  for  treatment  by 
neuroinduction  in  cases  where  patients  have  not  been 
able  to  make  up  their  minds  as  to  whether  they  ought 
to  enter  one  of  the  war  services  or  no.  Auto-analysis, 
following  upon  altero-analysis,  has  in  many  cases 
revealed  a  real  inclination  to  serve  when  a  vigorous 
supraconscious  opposition  has  been  displayed.  In 
one  case  a  conscientious  objector  became  a  loyalist 
during  induction;  it  had  been  previously  explained 
to  him  thai  no  attempt  would  be  made  to  alter  his 
views — that  he  would  alter  them  of  his  own  free  will 

^^7 


268  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

if  he  saw  reason  to.     This  case  shows  clearly  that  the 
subconscious  is  the  conscious — the  superconscious. 

I  may  add  that  I  entirely  agree  with  those  physi- 
cians who  have  recommended  that  military  men  suffer- 
ing from  functional  nervous  disorders  should  not  be 
treated  in  institutions  where  they  see  so  much  of  other 
cases  of  the  same  order.  Such  are  better  placed  where 
they  may  be  helped  towards  employment,  in  order  to 
forget  their  troubles  as  much  as  possible.  Years 
before  the  war  I  adopted  this  method ;  I  placed  certain 
patients  under  suitable  supervision  where  they  might 
live  just  an  ordinary  life  amongst  normal  people,  the 
latter  being  carefully  instructed  as  to  how  they  should 
help  if  need  be. 

Several   military   cases  have   been   referred   to   in 
various  former  chapters.    I  will,  however,  shortly  refer 
to  one  en  passant.     A  mental  specialist  brought  to 
me  a  late  lieutenant,  invalided  out  of  the  army,  for 
his  friends  wished  me  to  see  him.     The  specialist 
frankly  declared  to  me  his  opinion  (away  from  the 
patient's   hearing)   that   the   condition   was   quite   a 
hopeless  one — he  having  in  his  experience  "known  so 
many    similar."     Treatment   by    neuroinduction   not 
only  restored  the  patient  to  the  normal,  but  he  entered 
the  army  again;  his  work  was  now  found  to  be  of  a 
higher    order    than    before;    so    much    so    that    his 
promotion  was  unusually  rapid.     He  is  undoubtedly 
more  capable  to-day  than  ever  before  in  his  life,  as  he 
happily  declares.     His  is  a  very  good  example  of  a 
patient  reaching  a  legitimate  supernormal — as  one 
might  describe  it— after  a  ppurse  of  neuroinduction, 


CHAPTER  XIX 

NOTES   ON   PSYCHOLOGY,   RATIONALE 
AND   TECHNIQUE 

There  are  some  very  good  works  on  psychology  which 
are  useful  to  the  psychotherapist,  such  as  McDougall's 
books  and  articles,  than  which  there  is  nothing  better 
for  laying  a  reliable  foundation.  I  shall  refer 
shortly  to  matters  already  well  known,  but  I  shall  deal 
particularly  with  very  vexed  questions,  and  I  shall 
form  conclusions  from  actual  work  done  in  -psycho- 
ikerapyy  with  a  view  to  helping  to  elucidate  certain 
problems.  Thus  I  shall  draw  upon  a  hundred  pages 
of  material  originally  designed  for  a  longer  chapter, 
and  compress  the  gist  of  these  into  less  than  one-tenth 
of  the  space. 

I  object  to  the  term  "  suggestion."  I  prefer  "  induc- 
tion." The  dictionary  gives  us  this  meaning  of  sug- 
gestion :  "  Information  or  hints  to  the  mind  or 
thoughts."  But  the  physician  means  more  than  this, 
and  includes  clear  explanations,  reasonings,  impres- 
sive illustrations,  cogent  contentions,  and  at  times  even 
urgent  adjurations.  I  therefore  prefer  "induction," 
which  a  dictionary  describes  as  "  an  inference  of  some 
general  truth  from  special  facts."  But  inasmuch  as  I 
always  include  very  definite  effects  upon  sensation  in 

269 


ijo  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

every  application  of  the  system  of  induction,  I  find 
the  word  "  neuroinduction "  still  more  apposite  and 
expressive.  At  the  commencement  of  every  treatment 
by  neuroinduction  I  make  sure  of  general  physiological 
relaxation  as  a  sine  qud  non  state  throughout  both  the 
mental  and  the  physical  systems.  I  have  found  that 
full  physical  relaxation  always  conduces  to  relaxation 
of  thought.  I  look  upon  it  as  a  simple  law  that  physi- 
cal relaxation  is  bound  to  involve  an  amount  of  mental 
relaxation,  and  vice  versa.  There  can  be  no  exception 
to  this  law,  as  extremely  simple  investigation  and 
demonstration  will  be  able  to  verify.  Physical  relaxa- 
tion, when  properly  inducted,  should  involve  all 
sensorimotor  arc  mechanisms  of  the  body ;  any  degree 
of  reduction  of  tenseness  anywhere  in  the  system 
will  affect  the  whole  balance  to  some  extent.  In  neuro- 
inducting  a  physician  demonstrates  both  to  the  sensa- 
tions and  to  the  understanding  of  a  patient  that  which 
he  considers  is  of  value  for  the  latter  to  experience. 

By  altero-induction  I  mean  induction  conducted  by 
a  physician  in  treating  a  patient.  By  auto-induction 
I  mean  a  patient  inducting  himself,  he  himself  making 
and  accepting  physical  relaxation  and  mental  conclu- 
sions, either  deducted,  or  divined,  perhaps  read 
about,  or  possibly  given  him  in  ordinary  conversation 
by  another.  It  follows  that  altero-induction  carries 
with  it  some  amount  of  auto-induction  when  the 
patient  acquiesces.  The  term  "  auto-suggestion  "  has, 
in  the  past,  been  defined  and  employed  somewhat 
carelessly    by    some    authorities.     Usually    meaning 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  ijx 

little  more  than  acceptance,  it  is  a  term  that  is  of  very 
little  use  to  us. 

The  word  "suggestion"  has  been  understood  by 
some  to  imply  that  false  as  well  as  true  representation 
may  legitimately  be  made  as  thought  necessary.  Now, 
I  do  not  allow  induction  to  involve  anything  but  scien- 
tific deduction — in  other  words,  the  truth.  I  have 
never  yet  found  any  misrepresentation  which  could 
not  be  surpassed,  as  a  power,  by  accuracy — other  things 
being  equal.  The  technique  is  faulty  if  a  patient  can 
only  be  led  by  a  lie — even  by  a  purely  white  one. 
One  may  avoid  answering?  Yes;  but  as  to  ever 
making  an  actual  misrepresentation — no  !  Many  will 
disagree,  but  years  of  experience  have  proved  and  con- 
firmed the  soundness  of  this  advice.  Once  let  a 
patient  suspect  that  any  word  or  action  is  false,  and 
the  work  of  curing  him  will  be  multiplied. 

In  my  use  of  the  term,  neuroinduction  implies  the 
accurate  conveyance  of  reliable  sensations  and  conclu- 
sions, and  their  correct  interpretation ;  it  is  a  true  sense 
demonstration  and  elucidation,  both  physically  and 
mentally. 

In  neuroinduction  peripheral  confusion  of  special- 
sense  employment  is  minimised.  Thus  the  area  of  brain 
activity  is  reduced,  which  enables  a  patient  to  concen- 
trate more  effectually  upon  such  matters  as  are  put 
before  him  by  the  physician's  words  and  manipula- 
tions. It  follows  that  words  and  manipulations  will 
concern  the  sympathetic  system  more  nearly  and 
impressively,  by  the  power  which  suggested  normality 


172  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

gives,  in  prompting,  releasing,  encouraging,  or  exalt- 
ing function,  in  any  way  acceptable  to  the  sympathetic 
system  under  both  central  emotional  excitation  and 
local  stimulus. 

Many  erroneous  arguments  have  been  written  and 
spoken  both  by  medical  men  and  the  laity  concerning 
the  expression  "will-power."  "Will,"  according  to 
the  dictionary,  is  "the  power  of  determining  and  choos- 
ing " — or  "  inclination,"  or  "  intention."  Now,  in 
ordinary  education  we  have  a  means  by  which  we 
increase  knowledge;  we  elicit  the  power  of  exercis- 
ing further  thought.  But  we  do  not  consider  that  ordin- 
ary pupils  have  defective  will-power ;  nor  do  we  speak 
of  a  teacher  as  exercising  his  will-power  over  his  pupil. 
On  the  contrary,  what  really  happens  is  that  the  pupil 
is  taught  in  the  belief  that  he  possesses  will-power  of 
his  own.  It  is  true  that  the  will-power  of  one  may  be 
exercised  over  another  by  way  of  compulsion  if  reason- 
able inducement  does  not  elicit  more  right  apprecia- 
tion than  wrong ;  the  will-power  exercised  by  systems 
of  law  and  order  must  be  employed  against  the  mood 
of  a  criminal  or  a  lunatic,  whose  will-power  is  deficient, 
and  whose  actions  may  be  crudely  instinctive  and 
constantly  abnormal — akin  to  those  of  animals.  In 
hypnotic  suggestion  the  will-power  of  the  subject  is 
not  so  much  trained.  In  true  and  perfect  definite 
hypnosis  there  is  rather  obedience,  after  the  initial 
resignation.  Neuroinduction  instructs :  The  will- 
power of  the  patient  is  increased  from  the  first,  and  it 
grows  apace,  to  the  point  of  automatic  ease. 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  273 

Instead  of  the  rapport  of  the  older  writers,  I  prefer 
the  term  altero-association ;  instead  of  the  hypnotism 
of  the  older  writers,  I  would  describe  the  process  as 
dX\.^rQ-conduction ;  in  place  of  suggestion,  altero-induc- 
tion  would  seem  preferable. 

The  moment  altero-induction  becomes  complete 
conduction,  the  condition  should  constitute  the  hyp- 
nosis of  the  older  writers,  with  the  capacity  of  exhibit- 
ing hallucinations,  and  incapability  of  remembering  in 
the  supraconscious  what  happened  during  the  state  of 
hypnosis. 

Hypnosis  (so-called)  or  altero-conduction  is  not  the 
best  state  for  treatment  by  suggestion,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  most  efficacious  suggestion  is  only  to 
be  obtained  by  the  most  perfect  co-operation  possible 
on  the  part  of  the  patient.  In  so-called  hypnosis  the 
patient  is  not  asked  to  co-operate  :  he  is  bidden.  He 
consents  to  enter  into  the  state  of  absolute  resignation, 
leaving  all  direction  to  the  physician.  He  resigns 
his  volition,  but  retains  just  enough  potentiality  to 
enable  him  to  resist  and  oppose  in  case  this  should  seem 
advisable.  Let  the  reader  avoid  any  misconception 
here :  the  hypnotised  or  altero-conducted  patient  can 
always  exercise  volition  to  the  extent  of  refusing  to 
obey  an  injunction  if  he  has  sufficient  reason  to  do  so. 
Because  he  does  not  act  according  to  behest  he  must 
not  be  regarded  as  either  unconscious  or  without 
volition;  it  is  simply  that  he  so  far  ceases  to  exercise 
his  own  volition.  Inducted  patients  fully  co-operate 
all  the  time. 

18 


274  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

When  a  physician  treats  by  suggestion  he  teaches, 
advises,  inducts.  What  does  this  do  physiologically  ? 
It  creates  or  facilitates  association  between  neurones, 
through  synapses,  according  to  acceptance  of  reasoning. 

I  would  also  prefer  to  speak  of  the  process  of  con- 
vection from  neurones  to  neurones,  through  synapses, 
as  synapsis.  Now  in  order  to  create  or  facilitate 
synapsis  it  has  been  found  that  it  is  better  to  deal  first 
with  any  chaos  of  activities  that  exists,  to  limit  con- 
fusion amid  a  multiplicity  of  energies.  Hence  we 
should  begin  by  inducting  towards  limitation  and 
concentration.  We  actually  do  so  on  commencing 
treatment,  when  we  merely  elicit  a  patient's  attention. 
We  help  him  to  leave  out  of  account  certain  considera- 
tions of  his  own  for  the  time  being,  and  to  give  heed  to 
others.  We  limit  his  own  disordered  energies,  and 
invite  more  profitable  expenditure  in  certain  particu- 
lar directions. 

The  extent  to  which  induction  may  facilitate 
neurone  energy  will  be  variable  according  to  the 
powers  of  understanding  possessed  by  the  patient, 
which  powers  vary  as  do  facial  features  and  cerebral 
convolutions — nay,  even  as  the  quality  of  the  neurones. 
The  capacity  for  understanding  varies  more  than  any- 
thing functional  that  we  can  think  of. 

When  the  trombones  of  an  orchestra  are  going  badly 
in  the  concerted  playing  of  a  symphony,  the  conductor, 
when  practising,  will  stop  the  whole  orchestra ;  he  will 
then  tell  the  trombones  to  play  alone.  In  like  manner, 
if  a  patient  has  an  obsessed  or  difficult-thinking  mind, 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  275 

the  physician  will  induct  towards  the  more  desirable 
energies,  while  inhibiting  all  but  those  he  wishes  to 
improve.  He  will  ask  the  patient  to  lie  down,  so  that 
even  the  muscles  shall  not  energise  to  hinder  thought. 
He  will  tell  the  patient  to  close  his  eyes,  so  that  he  shall 
not  look  about  and  catch  confusional  ideas  from  what 
he  might  see  in  the  room;  he  will  ask  the  patient's 
attention,  in  order  to  encourage  concentration  of 
thought.  He  may  achieve  a  high  degree  of  co-opera- 
tion in  this  process ;  the  more  perfect  the  co-operation, 
the  more  readily  will  the  patient  learn  correct  sensa- 
tions, ideas,  and  conclusions. 

The  best  technique  does  not  require  obedience  so 
much  as  acquiescence ;  it  does  not  intend  that  a  patient 
shall  do  as  another  advises  him,  but  as  the  patient 
shall  advise  himself,  as  a  corollary,  of  the  clear  and 
sensible  issue  discussed  with  him. 

Thus  treatment  by  neuroinduction  is  nothing  more 
and  nothing  less  than  a  training  of  the  activities  and 
intuitions  of  neurones  and  their  connections ;  a  teach- 
ing of  that  consciousness  which  has  been  called  the 
subconsciousness  by  the  older  writers,  but  which  one 
has  every  reason  for  calling  the  superconscious,  for 
within  it  resides  our  greatest  intellectual  capacity. 
Treatment  by  neuroinduction  is  imparting  informa- 
tion to  the  purest  and  finest  consciousness  the  neurones 
are  capable  of  displaying,  in  order  to  make  it  still  more 
widely  conscious. 

Everything  goes  to  prove  the  greater  value  of  neuro- 
induction over  hypnosis.     The  fuller  the  awareness, 


2;6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

the  purer  the  consciousness :  the  greater  the  power  of 
co-operation  exhibited  by  the  patient,  the  greater  must 
necessarily  be  the  results  of  induction.  In  times  gone 
by  hypnosis  to  an  extreme  degree  was  sought  by 
some  physicians,  who  were  under  the  impression  that  it 
was  the  most  desirable  state  to  aim  at,  in  their  quite 
pardonable  ignorance  as  to  what  this  state  really  was. 
Yet  good  work  has  been  done  by  hypnotism  in  the 
past,  in  spite  of  its  drawbacks,  just  as  surgeons  did 
good  work  under  very  crude  anaesthetics  and  tech- 
nique before  better  were  discovered. 

What  is  the  subconscious  ?  I  shall  not  give  any  of 
the  definitions  of  former  writers,  for  I  disagree  with 
them  all;  I  must  ask  permission  to  give  my  own.  I 
consider  the  subconscious,  which  I  would  much  prefer 
to  term  the  superconscious,  to  be  the  clear  and  essen- 
tial consciousness  which  exists  when  the  mind  is 
busy  with  nothing  but  internal  thought — when  it 
is  unaffected  by  any  special  sense  activity.  It  often 
energises  automatically  upon  first  waking  in  the  morn- 
ing, after  all  the  muscles  and  special  senses  have  been 
completely  at  rest  for  some  time,  and  everything  is 
still  inclined  to  rest,  excepting  the  power  of  thought. 
The  same  state  is  reached  in  variable  degree  when  a 
patient  is  treated  by  neuroinduction,  and  is  told  to 
close  his  eyes,  to  do  nothing — not  even  to  listen,  which 
would  involve  some  effort.  After  his  plain  hearing  is 
elicited  he  is  expected  to  understand  the  words  and  to 
feel  the  manipulations  of  the  physician  because  he 
will  not  avoid  either ;  at  the  same  time  he  is  taught  to 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  ^;; 

relax  every  muscle  absolutely,  in  the  fullest  physio- 
logical meaning.  According  as  he  is  inducted  or 
taught  to  fulfil  these  conditions,  so  will  the  subcon- 
scious be  reachable  by  suggestion  in  further  in- 
duction. 

Opposition  to  induction  will  vary  according  to 
differences  of  opinion  and  purport  which  may  exist 
between  physician  and  patient.  Therefore  it  behoves 
the  former  to  be  as  absolute  in  order  and  accuracy 
as  it  is  possible  to  be;  also  in  philosophy,  in  religious 
beliefs — in  fact,  in  any  subject  referred  to  by  any 
patient  who  is  suffering  from  distress  of  mind. 
Differences  of  opinion  may  have  a  neutral  effect,  or 
they  may  arouse  opposition.  The  latter  may  either  be 
exhibited  on  the  instant,  or  after  a  treatment,  lesson,  or 
training — call  it  what  you  will.  If  a  patient  be 
obsessed,  or  under  a  chronic  misapprehension,  the 
physician  will  correct  this,  employing  such  illustrative 
arguments  as  he  considers  best. 

Nothing  is  more  likely  to  fail  than  words  spoken  by 
the  physician  which  are  inapt  and  unconvincing; 
incorrect  teaching  will  be  hopeless.  A  Protestant 
physician  remarking  to  a  Roman  Catholic  patient  that 
his  beliefs  are  wrong,  for  instance,  is  not  likely  to  cure 
a  patient  suffering  from  religious  mania. 

Hypnotic  suggestion  has  often  failed  to  cure  patients 
suffering  from  mental  or  nervous  disorder,  for  reasons 
which  the  reader  will  clearly  understand  from  the 
foregoing.  Treatment  by  neuroinduction  will  hardly 
ever  entirely  fail,  so  long  as  the  patient  has  any  sound 


2/8  ADVANCED  SUGGESttON 

sense  left  in  the  subconscious  plane.  It  is  not  even  so 
likely  to  fail  as  well-taught  lessons  in  natural  history, 
say,  imparted  to  the  supraconscious  mind  of  an 
ordinary  pupil.  The  value  of  neuroinduction  over 
hypnotism  lies  in  the  patient's  self-assistance  and  his 
co-operative  manner  of  learning.  Moreover,  the 
results  of  the  neuroinductive  form  of  co-operative  sug- 
gestion are  permanent — at  least,  as  permanent  as  the 
most  useful  and  valuable  lessons  learned  in  the  process 
of  ordinary  education  when  this  is  at  its  best,  and  often 
much  more  so;  for  lessons  which  make  for  pleasure 
instead  of  pain,  and  health  instead  of  ill-health, 
are  likely  to  be  better  remembered  than  any  other — 
much  more,  therefore,  are  they  when  conveyed  directly 
to  the  subconscious. 

I  am  obliged  to  conclude  that  the  hallucinations 
and  delusions  of  the  insane  arise  out  of  the  conscious. 
Suitable  and  sufficient  analysis  will  prove  this.  I  will 
give  a  reason  for  coming  to  this  conclusion.  A 
paranoiac  informed  me  that  he  was  persecuted  by 
people.  I  treated  him  by  neuroinduction,  and  to  a 
certain  extent  cleared  his  subconscious  mind.  He  was 
then  able  to  explain  that  years  ago  he  had  stolen 
money  from  a  friend's  desk.  This  had  "got  on  his 
mind,"  and  had  given  rise  to  ideas,  later  on,  that  he 
was  being  accused  by  people.  He  saw  men  pointing, 
at  him  in  his  imagination.  Thus  we  have  no  right  to 
say  that  delusions  and  hallucinations  arise  out  of  the 
unconscious  mind.  It  is  simply  plainly  erroneous  to 
do  so.     The  person  is  conscious  of  them,  but  it  merely 


Notes  on  psychology        ^;0 

happens  that  he  is  not  supraconscious ;  hence  he  is 
supposed  by  the  more  superficial  observers  to  be  uncon- 
scious of  them. 

It  follows  that  I  can  only  study  insanity  of  e\nery 
kind,  first  through  the  truism  that  every  thought  or 
idea  exists  in  the  consciousness,  or  rather  first  in  the 
subconsciousness,  the  purest  potentially  equipped  con- 
sciousness of  the  individual,  which  in  any  instance  of 
insanity  is  not  sound ;  if  wholly  unsound  then  we  have 
a  real  unconscious.     I  proceed  to  study  any  case  of 
insanity  just  as  I  would  one  of  simple  or  complicated 
hysteria ;  I  set  to  work  to  find  out  what  are  the  flaws 
in  the  sufer conscious  mind.     Nothing  can  be  found  in 
a  really  unconscious  mind.     The  word  "  unconscious  " 
has  been  far  too  laxly  employed  even  by  recent  writers, 
in  my  opinion.     Novelists  may  write  of  "  unconscious 
humour,"  but  psychologists  should  have  such  respect 
for  the  subconscious  as  to  realise  that  a  person  may 
appear  unconscious  in  the  supraconscious  realm  while 
being  eminently  conscious  at  the  moment  in  the  sub- 
conscious realm,  in  respect  of  and  concerning  the  same 
idea.     It  is  the  consciousness  of  the  subconscious  that 
primarily    matters    in    any   person.     Only    complete 
inertia  of  subconsciousness  should  be  accounted  uncon- 
sciousness.      Jung  and  many  English  psychologists 
and  neurologists  write  of  the  conscious  as  only  belong- 
ing to  the  plane  that  is  above  the  subconscious.     The 
truth  is  that  the  chief  conscious — the  superconscious — 
is  in  the  subconscious.     It  is  there  potentially,  and  it 
may  be  active  under  certain  circumstances,  whether 


^8o  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

supraconsciously  obvious  and  capable  of  communicat- 
ing with  another  or  no. 


Neuroinduction  as  affecting  the  Physical 
System 

It  has  never  been  clearly  explained  by  any  psy- 
chologist or  physician  employing  treatment  by  sug- 
gestion— whether  this  be  simple,  advanced,  or  the  old 
so-called  hypnotic  suggestion — what  happens  physic- 
ally as  a  result  of  suggestion.  Entirely  erroneous 
descriptions  of  phenomena  have  frequently  been  given 
— descriptions  of  patients  falling  "asleep"  or  not,  as 
the  case  might  be,  or  of  their  appearing  to  be  in  this 
particular  stage  of  suggestibility  or  that  degree  of 
hypnosis,  but  nothing  more.  Hypnoidal  and  other 
terms  have  also  been  employed  in  the  effort  to  describe 
stages  and  degrees ;  but  nothing  simple  and  sufficiently 
accurate  has  as  yet  been  taught.  In  this  chapter  I 
hope  to  add  still  further  to  any  light  I  may  have  been 
able  to  throw  on  the  subject  in  previous  chapters. 

We  have  touched  upon  rest  in  very  simple  terms  in 
the  foregoing  pages;  we  have  also  seen  that  there  is 
an  approachable  subconsciousness  which  may  natur- 
ally and  automatically  find  itself  sometimes  on  going 
to  bed,  just  before  going  to  sleep,  or  oftener  still  on 
just  waking  in  the  morning;  and  we  have  recognised 
that  this  happens  to  be  conditioned  by  perfect  physical 
relaxation.  Therefore  the  nature  of  our  quest  must  be 
as  follows :    How  can  we  secure  this  same  state  when 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  281 

We  require  it  for  purposes  of  treatment  ?  How  can  we 
produce  it  when  we  want  it  ? 

Let  me  inform  the  initiate  at  once  that  it  is  quite 
insufficient  for  him  to  ask  his  patient  to  become 
relaxed— to  relax  himself;  practically  all  the  experi- 
enced physicians  employing  suggestion  are  guilty  of 
employing  this  inefficient  technique.  It  is  too  absurd 
to  expect  auto-relaxation  in  such  as  have  not  been  able 
to  find  mental  or  physical  ease  perhaps  for  months  or 
years ;  we  might  as  well  tell  patients  that  they  should 
just  treat  themselves  as  ask  them  to  "  be  easy  and  to 
think  of  nothing,"  when  the  mind  is  unsteady  and 
the  body  trembling,  or,  if  not  unsteady  and  trembling, 
then  at  least  to  some  degree  tense,  on  account  of 
troubles  of  one  kind  or  other.  Under  such  condi- 
tions how  can  they  relax?  A  photographer  does 
not  offer  his  room  and  tell  the  customer  to  snap  the 
shutter  of  the  camera  himself.  It  is  therefore  our  duty 
to  teach  relaxation.  We  must  teach  what  it  is,  and 
not  only  implant  the  knowledge  of  this  in  the  patient's 
mind,  but  fix  it  in  his  sensations.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  important  lessons  of  this  book.  It  may  be  diffi- 
cult to  do  so  at  times,  but  it  must  be  done  if  the  tech- 
nique is  to  be  effective — if  the  best  results  are  to  be 
obtained  definitely  and  rapidly. 

When  this  point  is  properly  understood  we  are  then 
in  a  promising  position  to  consider  the  treatment  of 
mental  disorder,  of  deranged  functioning  in  the 
internal  organs,  and  even  of  organic  conditions.  In 
this  lies  the  great  secret  of  efficacy  when  we  are  aiming 


2^2  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

at  advanced  results.  In  treating  the  heart,  or  certain 
local  blood  vessels,  it  is  not  sufficient  that  the  patient 
shall  be  lying  down,  resting,  so  that  certain  words 
spoken  may  be  heard  readily ;  this  might  or  might  not 
do  a  certain  amount  of  good.  He  must  be  wholly 
relaxed. 

In  the  past  many  physicians  have  found  that  cases 
of  a  certain  class  have  done  well,  while  others  of  the 
same  class  have  done  unaccountably  badly.  The 
explanation  of  this  I  have  usually  found  to  lie  in  the 
faulty  technique  employed.  And  here  again  we  are 
reminded  of  certain  difficulties  of  treatment  by  sugges- 
tion ;  we  are  obliged  to  bear  in  mind  that  while  most 
patients  may  truly  be  said  to  be  alike  in  anatomy  and 
pathology,  in  both  brain  and  body,  when  suff^ering 
from  disease  or  disorder,  no  two  patients  can  be  found 
who  are  even  approximately  alike  in  the  sum  of  their 
mental  energies  or  capacities. 

Nor  can  the  psychotherapist  apply  his  treatment  as 
easily  as  the  physician  can  apply  electricity  or  order 
chemical  remedies.  The  former  must  necessarily 
employ  a  fine  adjustment  of  thought  to  suit  each  indi- 
vidual case. 

Exposure  of  a  body  to  cold  is  less  likely  to  produce 
difficult  complications  than  exposure  to  mental  shock ; 
the  latter  may  also  confuse,  or  even  destroy  the  power 
of  the  agency  through  which  complications  can  be 
made  manifest — the  balance  of  thought  necessary  to 
explain  them.  Exposure  to  cold  can  be  expressed  in 
three  words ;  a  bullet  may  be  seen  clearly  by  X  rays ; 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  2^3 

but  a  shock  may  not  be  declarable,  having  been 
repressed  or  suppressed  for  years ;  and  if  revealable  it 
may  require  great  efforts  to  correct  it,  not  only  on 
the  part  of  the  physician,  but  on  the  part  of  the 
patient.  Many  neurasthenics  have  remarked :  "  I 
wish  I  had  a  bad  limb  instead,  so  that  I  might  have 
it  cut  off,  and  have  done  with  the  trouble  quickly." 

Another  very  important  subject  for  study  is  emo- 
tional process — emotivity,  as  Dr.  Mott  terms  it.     This 
would  need  a  whole  book  to  itself,  if  justice  were  to 
be  done  to  the  subject.     I  have  found  that  when  a 
patient's  perception,  either  of  inducted  sensation  or  of 
mental  conclusion,  is  derived  in  emotional  association, 
it  is  of  much  greater  value  than  at  other  times,  showing 
that   emotional  process  assists  the  general  neurone 
process   in   a    most   effectual   manner.     If   a   patient 
understands  the  subject  of  treatment  by  suggestion, 
as  it  is  explained  to  him  while  it  is  being  applied,  he 
is  all  the  more  interested  in  it,  and  its  effects  are  corre- 
spondingly greater.     If  a  patient  can  see  the  force  of 
taking  exercise  and  of  avoiding  anger,  he  will  put 
these  recommendations  into  automatic  practice  much 
more  readily  than  he  would  if  he  were  merely  ordered 
to  carry  them  out.     These  propositions  may  seem  so 
simple   as   to   be  hardly   worth   stating;   nay,   some 
physicians  may  say  they  have  adopted  these  means. 
Such  a  demeanour  is  very  common  when  anything  is 
claimed  as  an  advance.    Very  well  then,  all  I  can  do  is 
to  impress  and  emphasise  their  importance,  so  that  the 
principle  may  be  still  more  extensively  employed.     I 


2§4  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

shall  attempt  to  justify  myself,  however,  in  one  state* 
ment :  I  have  found  that  most  physicians  are  too  direct 
in  their  methods  of  applying  recommendations. 
Indirect  means  are  far  more  widely  educative;  they 
produce  the  desired  effect  much  more  strongly  and 
permanently.  Incidentally,  again,  in  this  paragraph, 
I  have  given  reasons  why  neuroinduction  is  superior 
to  neuroconduction  (hypnotic  suggestion). 

Sherington  has  remarked  very  truly  that,  "  of  points 
where  physiology  and  psychology  touch  the  place  of 
one  lies  at  emotion.  .  .  .  Built  upon  sense-feeling 
much  as  cognition  is  built  on  sense-perception,  emotion 
may  be  regarded  almost  as  a  feeling.  .  .  .  That 
marked  reactions  of  the  nervous  areas  regulating  the 
thoracic  and  abdominal  organs  (and  the  skin)  con- 
tribute characteristically  to  the  phenomena  of  emotion 
has  been  common  knowledge  from  time  immemorial." 
What  better  testimony  could  psychotherapists  have 
than  this,  from  the  physiological  side  ? 

The  importance  of  studying  the  effects  of  thought 
upon  physiological  systems  may  well  be  conceived 
when  it  is  realised  how  worry  or  shock  affects  diges- 
tion. A  hundred  excellent  examples  might  be  given, 
but  I  am  limited  as  to  space.  I  must  content  myself  with 
calling  the  reader's  very  serious  attention  to  the  large 
field  which  lies  open  to  a  serviceable  technique  which 
not  only  gives  full  cognisance , of  its  capacity  for  cor- 
recting disorders  of  the  sympathetic  system — dis- 
orders that  are  largely  responsible  for  abnormal  in- 
voluntary processes  of  all  kinds,  by  means  of  direct 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  285 

and  indirect  (mental)  effects— but  which  also  directly 
assists  the  functioning  of  the  powers  of  thought.  Inas- 
much as  disorders  of  various  kinds  involve  both  the 
mental  and  the  physical  systems,  through  the  sympa- 
thetic, in  order  that  a  technique  may  deal  with  etiologi- 
cal "circling"  it  must  be  such  as  deals  with  negative 
disorder  by  the  adjustment  of  positive  order. 
Indigestion  causes  worry ;  worry  causes  more  indiges- 
tion. We  must  therefore  diminish  worry  by  thought 
induction  and  strengthen  the  local  sympathetic  pro- 
cesses by  sensation  induction.  It  is  quite  true  that 
thought  induction  may  do  everything  in  certain  cases, 
as  it  is  that  medicine  or  electricity  will  cure  some 
cases  of  dyspepsia;  but  difficult  cases  will  require 
more,  as  we  have  seen,  and  the  more  difficult  the  more 
indirectly  may  it  be  found  advisable  to  adopt  a 
procedure. 

In  order  further  to  emphasise  the  importance  of 
suggestion  directed  towards  the  physical  sensations, 
I  need  only  refer  to  two  interesting  facts  that  have 
come  to  light  in  extensive  practice  in  difficult  cases. 
A  patient  who  can  neither  speak  nor  see  (having  the 
eyes  shut)  may  be  treated  quite  successfully  by  neuro- 
induction  so  long  as  manipulations  designed  to  convey 
impressions  are  understood ;  the  supraconscious  mind 
is  at  the  time  both  on  the  alert  and  unusually  capable 
of  interpreting  meanings — often  extraordinarily  so. 
The  reader  will  again  be  reminded  that  when  a  patient 
appears  to  understand  nothing  when  spoken  to,  he 
must  not  on  this  account  be  deemed  to  be  demented, 


286  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

insane,  comatose,  or  intoxicated.  He  may  understand 
everything  in  the  subconscious  mind,  while  seeming 
stupid  in  his  supraconscious  behaviour.  My  collec- 
tion of  remarks  made  by  former  doctors — opinions 
given  by  them  during  their  treatments,  as  narrated 
to  me  by  supposed  "  lunatics,"  after  their  cure  by  neuro- 
induction,  who  had  been  repeatedly  pronounced  in- 
curable— would  make  a  whole  book  of  eloquent  proof 
of  the  shortcomings  of  physicians;  and  the  same 
applies  to  matrons  and  nurses. 

Some  of  the  very  best  results  may  follow  mere  auto- 
inference  in  the  course  of  very  simple  induction.  I 
have  known  many  cases  in  which  a  serious  disorder 
has  cleared  up  soon  after  commencing  treatment,  the 
disorder  never  having  been  mentioned,  and  the  patient 
having  proceeded  so  rapidly  to  form  clear  judgments 
and  accurate  deductions  that  nothing  more  by  way  of 
help  was  wanted- — the  full  and  true  facts  having  been 
represented  by  the  patients,  sometimes  months,  and  in 
more  than  one  case  years,  after  treatment.  In  these  cases 
treatment  has  made  it  unnecessary  to  mention  symp- 
toms which  disappeared  at  the  outset  of  the  treatment ; 
later  on  a  natural  joy  and  interest  in  the  permanent 
relief  obtained  has  elicited  the  full  and  actual  facts,  in 
sheer  enthusiasm  and  recognition  of  the  advantages 
derived.  For  example,  the  early  suggestion  that  "  for 
a  person  to  be  in  full  command  of  self  is  a  grand 
attribute"  cured  a  man  in  one  treatment  of  taking 
drugs.     He  applied  this  emotional  lesson  forthwith  to 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  287 

his  particular  failing,  which  he  had  been  ashamed  to 
declare  when  complaining  merely  of  insomnia. 

It  follows  that  manipulations  should  never  be  mean- 
ingless, for  the  patient  m.ay  perhaps  realise  them  to 
be  so,  and  respond  to  no  further  suggestion.  Hence 
it  will  once  again  be  seen  why  treatment  by  suggestion 
must  in  many  cases  be  a  difficult  matter. 


Memory 

This  depends  upon  the  power  to  generate  facile 
automatic  association  between  neurones  through  their 
connections.  In  cases  of  entire  loss  of  memory  due  to 
shock  or  nerve  strain  there  has  been  complete  inter- 
ruption of  association,  as  often  as  not  induced  by 
excessive  communication  having  gone  on  in  other 
directions.  Occasionally  shock  may  auto-suggest  an 
amnesia,  as  being  the  best  expedient  under  awkward 
circumstances,  which  amnesia  may  thus  be  false  at 
the  start,  but  may  become  true  later  on.  It  may  even 
be  first  hetero-suggested,  someone  remarking  that  the 
patient's  memory  seems  deficient.  This  may  lead  to 
the  auto-suggestion  that  amnesia  might  be  the  best 
thing  to  simulate  in  the  meantime;  later  on  the  auto- 
suggestion may  become  first  obsessional  and  then 
delusional,  reaching  finally  a  complete  incapacity,  the 
patient  not  being  able  to  remember  when — other 
things  being  equal — he  really  wants  to  do  so. 

No  class  of  case  is  easier  to  treat  than  these,  pa^- 


288  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

ticularly  when  the  disability  is  of  comparatively 
recent  origin  —  say  of  less  than  twelve  months* 
standing.  Sometimes  the  slightest  suggestion  will 
correct  complete  amnesia  into  perfectly  full  and  free 
association,  whatever  the  cause  of  the  disorder  may 
have  been,  so  long  as  there  is  no  toxaemia,  injury,  or 
gross  disease  of  the  brain.  Complete  loss  of  memory 
of  merely  a  few  days'  standing  may  require  only  a 
single  treatment. 

Slowness  or  "poorness"  of  memory  is  equally  easy 
to  treat  if  due  to  mental  strain ;  this  trouble  is  like  all 
disorders  open  to  treatment  by  suggestion,  in  that  the 
longer  it  has  existed  the  greater  the  length  of  time  will 
be  required  by  suggestion  to  bring  to  the  normal. 
Again,  a  good  deal  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the 
causation.  * 

"Poor"  memory  of  five  years*  standing  may 
possibly  be  trained  to  normal  in  a  week;  or  it  may 
take  many  months  if  due  to  psychasthenia — itself 
due  to  worry  difficult  to  get  rid  of.  If  due  to  strain 
in  developing  a  hopeless  business  it  may  require  treat- 
ment so  indirect  as  to  include  improvement  of  half  a 
dozen  faults  of  habit  or  temperament,  which  have  led 
to  failure  in  the  business  before  any  loss  of  memory 
had  resulted.  It  will  also  be  appreciated  by  the 
reader  how  necessary  it  is,  when  informed  of  what 
appears  to  the  patient  or  others  to  be  the  only 
abnormality  that  requires  curing,  to  analyse  and 
search  for  others. 

While  offering  my  congratulations  to  Dr.  Mott  and 


NOTES  ON  PSYCHOLOGY  289 

others  who  have  obtained  favourable  results  through 
suggestion  under  anaesthesia,  I  am  bound  also  to  give 
my  opinion  that  treatment  under  anaesthesia  must  have 
limitations  which  would  not  obtain  in  the  case  oi 
neuroinduction,  for  reasons  which  will  be  obvious. 
One  could  not  so  broadly  or  extensively  re-educate  in 
cases  of  nervous,  mental,  or  physical  disorder  while 
the  patient  was  in  a  state  of  real,  even  if  partial,  un- 
consciousness. 

In  this  chapter  I  have  endeavoured  to  propound  a  sufficiently 
practicable  psychology  which  will  enable  a  psychotherapist  to 
do  his  work  to  advantage.  He  may  get  lost  amid  the  six 
theories  of  the  subconscious  that  have  been  propounded  by 
other  authorities  :  in  this  chapter  he  will  be  safe. 

As  showing  the  ridiculous  chaos  which  the  study  of  the  sub- 
conscious has  formerly  reached,  I  need  only  quote  a  "fifth 
theory"  as  given  by  Isador  Coriat  (though  not  his  own)  in  his 
book  on  "  Abnormal  Psychology  "  :  "  The  physiological  idea 
of  the  subconscious,  the  theory  known  as  unconscious  brain 
thinking,"  he  writes.  Until  such  contradictory  nonsense  is  swept 
out  of  the  way  progress  in  psychotherapy  is  likely  to  be  slow. 
Psychologists  have  no  right  to  allow  themselves  more  than  one 
kind  of  unconsciousness,  in  their  vocabulary,  that  of  thought 
inhibition  due  to  brain  injury,  toxins,  or  natural,  perfectly 
undisturbed  sleep. 


19 


CHAPTER    XX 

THOUGHT  ANALYSIS 

Fortunately  for  my  readers  and  myself,  this  chapter 
will  be  very  short.  First  let  us  consider  psycho- 
analysis as  it  is  regarded  up  to  this  day  of  writing, 
and  for  the  purpose  let  us  turn  to  Murphy's  "  Practi- 
tioners' Encyclopaedia  of  Medicine."  Here  we  find 
Dr.  Bedford  Pierce  writing  with  an  amount  of  care 
and  insight  which  is  characteristic  of  that  sincere 
writer  and  genuine  authority  on  mental  disorders : 

"The  object  of  psycho-analysis  is  to  investigate  the 
trains  of  thought  which,  directly  or  indirectly,  have 
produced  a  given  morbid  psychical  disturbance. 
Everyone  is  reminded  at  times  of  experiences  that  are 
distasteful,  and  even  repulsive,  the  memory  of  which 
we  endeavour  to  ignore ;  and  the  mental  conflict  which 
this  repression  involves  varies  in  intensity  according 
to  the  nature  of  the  experience  in  question  and  the 
temperament  and  education  of  the  individual.  Such 
memories  and  emotions  are  called  'complexes,'  and 
when  they  are  forgotten  and  cannot  be  called  into 
consciousness  they  are  called  *  buried  complexes.' 
They  usually  relate  to  some  fundamental  instinct  or 
desire,  and  when  circumstances  prevent  these  desires 
from  being  gratified  some  compromise  must  be  reached. 
Under  normal  conditions  such  repressed  desires  are 
directed  into  healthy  channels ;  they  are  *  sublimated' 

290 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  igi 

and  the  energies  find  outlet  in  some  form  of  active 
work,  but  in  some  cases  no  such  outlet  is  found,  and 
the  buried  complex  becomes  a  centre  of  internal  stress 
till  a  'substitution'  takes  place  and  hysterical  symp- 
toms appear.  The  patient  is  probably  altogether 
unaware  of  what  has  happened,  and  sometimes  the 
original  desire  cannot  be  remembered,  so  successful 
has  been  the  repression.  The  end-product  may  appear 
to  have  no  relation  to  the  complex,  and  is  so  frequently 
confused  and  distorted  that  the  task  of  tracing  out 
its  origin  may  be  extremely  difficult.  In  this  way  arise 
the  many  symptoms  of  hysteria  and  psychasthenia, 
palsies,  phobias,  obsessions,  tic,  morbid  doubting;  all 
of  which  are  regarded  by  the  psycho-analyst  as  sym- 
bolical representations  of  wish-fulfilments.  They 
produce  a  certain  amount  of  unconscious  gratification, 
and  in  a  perverted  and  incomplete  manner  they  relieve 
the  underlying  mental  conflict." 

He  then  goes  on  to  explain  the  "free  association" 
and  "word  association"  methods  of  Jung. 

Experience  has  taught  me  that  of  all  methods  likely 
to  confuse  the  issue,  likely  always  to  make  as  much 
trouble  as  ever  could  be  cleared  away  in  many  instances 
— in  some  even  far  more  trouble  than  already  existed — 
these  are  the  foremost :  perhaps  we  might  imagine 
worse  intentions,  such  as  filling  a  patient  with  more 
difficulty  than  he  already  suffered  from,  in  the  hope 
that  a  surfeit  and  nausea  might  be  produced,  which 
would  either  "kill  or  cure,"  according  to  chance,  as  a 
large  dose  of  poison  may  occasionally  cure  by  causing 
vomiting. 

Enough  of  destructive  criticism,  of  bad  methods 
which  the  future  will  break  to  atoms,  as  having  been 


292  ADVANCED  SUGGEStlON 

so  monstrously  conceived  as  to  remind  one  of  the 
country  whose  watchword  is  "world  dominion  or 
downfall."  Certain  British  scientists  once  upon  a  time 
developed  the  habit  of  taking  all  things  emanating 
from  Germany  as  "  the  last  word  " — as  we  now  know 
only  too  painfully.  The  real  truth  has  been  that 
British  scientists  were  all  along  capable  of  doing 
better;  they  have  proved  over  and  over  again,  during 
the  Great  War,  that  they  can  be  more  capable  than 
German  scientists.  The  whole  British  people  have 
been  hoodwinked  by  a  plausible  and  industrious  ambi- 
tion, that  has  persuaded  them  to  accept  too  high  an 
estimate  of  German  scientific  progress ;  they  admit  this 
now,  so  little  more  need  be  said  in  the  matter. 

I  shall  propose  to  abandon  the  term  "psycho- 
analysis," as  one  that  can  only  bring  unhappy  recollec- 
tions. May  I  suggest  something  plain  and  simple  in 
its  place — namely,  "  thought  analysis  "  ? 

We  want  to  know  what  is  in  the  minds  of  patients 
troubled  with  "  difficult  thoughts."  It  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  for  us  to  know  entirely  what  is  in  the  sub- 
conscious mind.  Still  less  necessary  is  it  for  anyone 
to  attempt  to  grope  in  the  unconscious^  about  which  so 
many  have  floundered,  even  in  the  very  definition  of 
it.  All  we  need  is  an  analysis  of  the  conscious.  We 
may  speak  of  the  subconscious  if  it  may  seem  con- 
venient, but  henceforth  we  are  bound  to  consider  that 
this  is  rather  the  superconscious. 

The  best  way  of  proceeding  to  do  this  is  perhaps 
already  to  some  extent  suggested  in  the  foregoing 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  293 

pages.  If  we  get  down  to  the  best  consciousness  that 
potentially  exists  the  rest  will  be  easy,  if  our  induction 
be  wise  and  sufficiently  experienced :  neuroinduction 
from  this  position  onwards  will  then  enable  all  patients 
to  analyse  themselves. 

Let  me  take  the  case  of  a  doctor's  son,  thirty  years 
of  age,  who  had  suffered  from  oversensitiveness  of  the 
nervous  system  since  childhood,  and  for  fifteen  years 
from  phobias  which  made  life  a  burden,  preventing 
his  engaging  in  any  employment  beyond  the  very 
simplest.  He  was  sent  to  me  by  a  consulting  physician 
as  the  last  resource,  everything  else  having  failed. 
After  four  treatments  by  neuroinduction  he  gave 
(without  any  leading  questions  being  asked)  the  story 
of  his  having  been  lost  in  his  native  town,  when  about 
six  years  of  age,  and  of  his  having  been  taken  to  the 
police,  and  kept  at  their  station,  until  inquiries  could 
be  made.  At  the  age  of  eight,  also,  he  had  been  a 
witness  to  the  injury  of  a  woman.  In  relating  this 
incident  he  could  recollect  the  horrible  face  she  had 
then  made;  from  that  day  he  subconsciously  felt 
afraid  lest  anything  of  the  kind  should  ever  happen 
to  him.  When  asked  why  he  did  not  give  these 
particulars  to  anyone  else,  or  even  to  me  when  I  first 
took  his  case,  he  replied  that  he  had  "never  thought 
of  them  until  now."  Half  an  hour  after  relating  the 
second  incident  he  had  an  attack  of  dizziness  and 
sickness.  The  next  day  his  improvement  was  so  great 
that  I  found  it  advisable  to  treat  him  specially  for 
overexcitement,  which  could  only  be  interpreted  a§ 


294  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

an  exhibition  of  joy  begotten  of  a  sense  of  release  and 
relief. 

If  some  of  the  employers  of  psycho-analysis  had 
obtained  similar  accounts  and  results  from  a  patient, 
after  labouring  perhaps  for  six  months  on  the  lines 
of  "word-association,"  they  would  probably  have 
recorded  this  in  a  medical  journal  as  something 
wonderful.  Indeed,  one  may  read  in  some  of  the 
special  journals  of  recent  years  of  cases  at  home  and 
abroad  in  which  one  year  and  even  two  have  been 
occupied  in  obtaining  results  by  psycho-analysis  which 
can  nowadays  be  obtained  sometimes  in  as  m:iny 
weeks,  or  even  hours,  by  neuroinduction. 

To  give  examples  of  one  or  two  more  severe  and 
complicated  cases,  I  will  pick  out  the  following  from 
a  very  large  number  : 

A  bedridden  case  of  nervous  breakdown  was  sent 
to  me  by  an  eminent  neurologist.  She  had  been  sent 
from  abroad  to  this  country,  as  requiring  higher  advice, 
having  already  had  the  advantage  of  all  that  could  be 
obtained  in  the  country  to  which  she  belonged.  She 
had  been  ill  for  fifteen  years,  having  suffered  from 
so  many  gastro-intestinal  derangements,  heart  troubles, 
and  nerve  stresses  that  I  cannot  bother  to  recite 
them.  By  both  surgeons  and  physicians  she  had  been 
earnestly  advised.  I  cannot  enumerate  the  various 
treatments  she  had  undergone  before  an  up-to-date 
neurologist  saw  chances  in  psychotherapy,  and  sent 
her  to  me  for  analysis.  I  have  taken  this  case  as 
example  because  the  patient  seemed  to  the  ordinary 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  295 

observer  to  have  no  mind  for  contemplation;  it  was 
difficult  for  her  to  follow  ordinary  conversation.  She 
could  not  supraconsciously  think ;  she  had  neither  the 
power  nor  the  spirit.  I  must  express  my  opinion  that 
such  a  case  would  not  be  tackled  with  any  honest 
expectation  of  favourable  results  ensuing  by  any  lead- 
ing expert  in  Freud's  or  Jung's  methods,  for  I  have 
received  similar  cases  which  have  been  abandoned, 
patients  who  have  not  been  in  half  so  hopeless  a 
condition,  either  mentally  or  physically,  as  the  one 
under  consideration.  In  five  weeks  this  is  what 
I  obtained,  cheerfully,  happily,  and  easily  delivered, 
without  asking  for  it : 

"  I  remember  an  incident  occurring  in  my  childhood 
which  may  be  interesting.  I  thought  I  had  better  tell 
you.  I  was  living  in  India,  and  we  were  told  by 
mother  never  to  go  down  the  garden.  She  went  out, 
and  I  disobeyed.  While  wandering  along  a  path  I 
was  seized  by  an  Indian  gardener,  and  he  handled 
me  improperly.  I  could  not  tell  mother,  and  I  felt 
the  shock  for  weeks  afterwards." 

Again  an  example.  I  inducted  to  the  normal  a  girl 
of  twenty-five  years  of  age  who  had  suffered  from 
phobias  and  other  mental  derangements  described  by 
her  family  medical  attendant  as  bringing  her  within 
the  "borderline"  category.  I  merely  straightened 
out  her  thoughts,  effected  better  associations,  helped 
the  memory,  smartened  up  wholesome  volition,  and 
she  soon  returned  to  her  work  as  a  college  tutor. 
Twelve  months  afterwards  I  wished  to  survey  h^x 


296  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

mentality  in  order  to  see  how  she  was  shaping,  and  in 
a  simple  conversation  she  remarked : 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  thankful  I  am  that  you  got 
me  right.  I  often  wondered  whether  I  should  tell 
you,  but  as  I  felt  myself  getting  the  idea  under  perfect 
command  under  your  methods,  I  did  not  think  it  at 
all  necessary  to  go  into  details  of  things  long  past; 
but  I  entirely  got  rid  of  a  sexual  idea  that  was  at  one 
time  driving  me  mad,  caused  by  a  male  tutor,  who 
was  not  at  all  at  fault,  but  circumstances  seemed  to 
make  the  thing  a  great  shock  to  me.  As  soon  as  I 
was  able  to  recall  the  whole  incident  quite  clearly  I  felt 
myself  getting  stronger." 

Why  did  I  not  straightway  analyse  in  this  case? 
The  reply  is  that  it  did  not  seem  indicated ;  the  patient 
was  so  responsive  to  indirect  suggestion,  and  did 
so  well,  that  there  was  no  occasion  to  trouble.  This 
case,  with  many  others  like  it,  serves  to  show  that 
indirect  suggestion  will,  if  of  the  right  sort,  enable  the 
patient  to  conduct  a  private  analysis  and  to  apply  her 
own  arguments. 

The  more  one  abides  by  simple  accurate  principles 
the  easier  does  the  whole  thing  become,  which  brings 
an  aphorism  to  the  mind  :  if  there  is  work  to  be  done, 
more  than  you  can  do  yourself,  teach  others  how  to 
help  themselves,  in  their  own  and  everybody's  interests ; 
in  any  case  avoid  making  more  work,  for  yourself  and 
others.  Should  the  reader  be  disinclined  to  take  me 
at  my  word  and  demand  further  proof,  I  will  give  the 
case  of  a  daughter  who  declared  thg,t  she  had  a  certai^n 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  297 

story  which  could  not  and  would  not  be  told  to  a 
living  soul  beyond  her  father  confessor,  who  had  told 
her  that  God  forbade  her  going  beyond  him.  She 
informed  me  that  she  would  go  on  contented  with  her 
fate  if  need  be,  but  if  I  could  help  her  nervous  system 
otherwise  she  would  be  grateful.  I  merely  treated  the 
"awful  thing"  as  an  unknown  quantity,  more  or  less 
indirectly,  and  she  got  just  as  well  as  any  more  elabor- 
ate analysis  could  have  made  her;  indeed,  if  an 
analysis  had  been  insisted  upon  and  had  been  ever 
so  covertly  attempted,  it  might  have  caused  complica- 
tions of  a  nature  difficult  to  conjecture,  which  would 
have  aggravated  her  general  condition.  A  frank 
consent  to  leave  the  particular  subject  alone  really 
cleared  the  way  peacefully  for  other  quests  and  other 
alleviations. 

Analysis  should  be  preceded  by  neuroinduction 
sufficient  to  steady  and  clear  the  thinking  apparatus ; 
the  patient  should  not  only  be  asked  by  the  physician 
to  follow  a  quiet  train  of  thought,  easily  and  accurately, 
but  any  sign  to  the  contrary  should  be  at  once  dealt 
with.  The  slightest  contradiction,  either  within  the 
patient's  self  or  as  towards  the  physician,  should  be 
pointed  out,  simple  examples  being  given,  until  ease 
and  clearness  of  mental  power  is  induced — which,  of 
course,  the  patient  always  enjoys. 

In  future — as  it  is,  in  my  hands,  to-day — analysis 
should  always  be  made  first  by  the  patients.  This 
recommendation  will  startle  psychotherapists  of  the 
old  school.     Patients  should  be  instructed  never  to 


298  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

force  their  thought,  never  to  try  to  think,  never  to 
"  make "  themselves  do  anything.  No  memory  is 
improved  by  being  "  made."  Many  readers  may  think 
to  the  contrary,  but  further  study  and  experience  will 
show  them  that  memory  is  an  automatic  affair  of 
neurones,  that  when  the  state  of  the  mechanism  is 
satisfactory  memory  asserts  itself — it  just  comes. 

As  to  suppressed  ideas,  possible  reasons  for  keeping 
them  back  or  hiding  them  may  be  judged  from 
the  patient's  replies  or  observations  in  conversation; 
deliberately  designed  conversations  for  this  purpose, 
if  seen  through  by  the  patient,  are  not  so  good  as  very 
easy  chatter.  When  a  simple  reply  from  the  patient 
appears  important  to  the  physician  he  may  follow  this 
up,  if  the  occasion  seems  to  make  it  advisable ;  he  may 
thus  help  the  patient  to  understand  himself. 

No  patient's  case  requires  analysing  by  the  physician, 
as  I  am  able  to  prove  after  many  years'  investigation 
and  experience.  If  the  patient  cannot  do  the  work 
himself,  he  must  be  treated  and  helped  until  he  can. 
He  should  never  be  told  to  do  so.  A  better  remark 
would  be :  "  There  is  something  to  account  for  that. 
One  of  these  days  it  will  occur  to  you.  No  hurry ; 
it  will  come.  We  might  want  it ;  it  may  be  very  useful 
to  us."  After  this  no  more,  until  it  does  come,  and 
perhaps  one  or  two  other  facts  with  it,  equally,  if  not 
more,  important. 

Is  this  method  of  conducting  an  analysis  ever 
difficult  ?  Yes.  I  have  found  it  extremely  difficult  to 
elicit  causation  when  military  service  has  been  avoided. 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  299 

or  when  an  offence  is  of  such  a  nature  as  to  be  revealed 
most  unwilhngly,  because  criminal  There  will  be  no 
difficulty,  provided  the  patient  is  willing,  but  patients 
may  sometimes  realise  whither  they  are  going,  and  will 
avoid  further  revelations  by  ceasing  to  attend  for 
treatment.  Occasionally  patients  are  sent  for  treat- 
ment against  their  wish,  by  doctors  or  parents;  these 
may  be  difficult,  but  by  no  means  impossible  to  treat. 
I  could  give  many  cases  to  illustrate  all  the  principles 
stated  in  these  pages,  but  I  have  given  sufficient 
examples ;  such  as  these  have  been  valuable  enough  to 
me;  they  have  taught  me  principles,  and  they  go  on 
teaching  me.  These  principles  I  now  hand  on.  In 
years  gone  by  I  have  become  weary  of  reading  of 
cases  of  extraordinary  results  in  the  treatment  of 
this  or  that  disorder*,  without  any  real  explanation  as 
to  the  why  and  how.  Here  I  present  principles,  and  I 
ask  readers  to  go  forth  and  practise  them;  they  will 
then  find  examples  enough  at  every  turn  to  substan- 
tiate the  teaching  I  humbly  offer.  If  cases  should 
in  future  be  wanted  for  further  proof — if  ever  I  should 
be  challenged — I  can  offer  any  number  of  them. 

A  useful  hint  as  to  analysis  is  this :  The  sexual 
factor  should  never  be  deliberately  sought  for;  it  is 
not  one-tenth  so  important  as  Freud  and  his  friends 
have  believed.  Indeed,  I  have  found  it  the  very  factor 
to  avoid  if  possible.  A  highly  educated  man  informed 
me  that  his  difficulties  had  been  multiplied  fourfold 
through  a  "word-association"  physician  trying  to 
discover  something  sexual  about  him,  as  being  "the 


300  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

root  of  the  whole  thing."  My  difficulty  in  this  case 
consisted  in  eliciting  and  eliminating  the  obsessions 
and  delusions  which  psycho-analysis  had  been  the 
means  of  creating.  If  the  sexual  factor  is  suspected, 
my  recommendation  is  that  every  other  factor  should 
be  attended  to  first.  That  the  sexual  factor  is  very 
often  important,  I  freely  admit — sometimes  it  is  the 
most  important  of  all — but  on  this  account  all  the 
more  caution  should  be  exercised  regarding  it. 

The  reader  may  be  surprised  that  I  have  so  few  hints 
to  give  on  analysis.  My  reply  is  of  much  the  same 
nature  as  the  advice  given  that  patients  should  be 
inducted  to  analyse  themselves;  it  is  to  the  effect  that 
medical  men  can  easily  discover  for  themselves  how 
they  may  proceed  by  simply  practising  what  I  have 
above  recommended,  and  by  abandoning  every  method 
likely  to  create  difficulties  instead  of  reducing  them. 
Only  a  certain  degree  of  instruction  is  possible  on 
paper;  no  artist  or  golf -player  could  teach  others  to 
become  skilful  by  means  of  a  book.  Pupils  can  only 
be  helped  to  become  skilful  by  such  limited  means; 
their  skill  will  finally  emerge  from  their  own  capaci- 
ties. If  Braid  writes  "  Do  not  urge  too  much  at  golf," 
I  advise  "  Do  not  adopt '  word  association '  in  diagnos- 
ing or  treating  mental  disorder."  It  is  for  players 
and  practitioners  to  apply  any  useful  hints  they  may 
receive  if  they  wish  to  become  more  proficient.  One 
might,  to  some  extent,  demonstrate  what  should  be 
done,  and  give  examples  as  to  what  should  be  said; 
but  even  then  pupils  would  require  to  find  out  much 


THOUGHT  ANALYSIS  joi 

for  themselves.  I  myself  was  never  at  any  time 
told  or  shown  anything  by  way  of  treatment  by 
psychotherapy ;  indeed,  most  of  what  I  could  read  on 
the  subject  I  found  misleading. 

May  I  finally  recommend  physicians  neither  to  be 
too  ready  to  probe,  nor  to  "cut  down  and  see,"  nor 
to  "work  away  until  something  turns  up."  One 
should  always  bear  in  mind  that  the  patient  is 
usually  quite  the  best  material  if  properly  handled. 
Only  when  you  cannot  yet  help  your  patient  will  you 
perhaps  be  justified  in  certain  cases  in  making  an 
a  deep  "exploratory"  search  into  mental  corners. 
Even  then  your  patient  will  be  the  one  to  clear  every- 
thing up  for  you.  There  may  be  nothing  to  be  dis- 
covered by  the  patient.  Many  most  difficult  cases 
have  had  no  particular  traumata  in  their  history, 
toxaemia  states  having  alone  produced  strains  and 
stresses  of  thought. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SOME  GOLDEN  RULES  FOR  THE 
PRACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY 

(a)  Never  compel,  force,  or  "make"  a  patient  do 
anything.  Psychotherapy  is  only  possible  when  there 
is  some  intelligence  left;  it  is  this  remainder  that  the 
physician  must  make  use  of.  The  amented  and 
demented  will  sometimes  require  to  be  helped  by  the 
control  of  others,  like  non-conscious  animals.  It  may, 
of  course,  be  difficult  to  decide  when  dementia  is 
sufficient  to  demand  the  exercise  of  force;  the  extent 
to  which  reason  fails  must  naturally  be  left  to  the 
experienced  understanding  of  the  physician. 

I  have  pointed  out  to  many  clergy,  teachers,  leaders 
of  movements,  politicians,  and  others,  how  much 
greater  is  the  power  of  appealing  to  the  thought  by 
reason  than  by  any  threatening  or  urging  to  action. 
It  is  a  commonplace  that  you  had  better  make  people 
sober  by  reason  rather  than  by  act  of  Parliament.  It 
is  true  that  fear  and  sentiment,  through  emotion,  may 
work  wonders ;  but  these  will  derive  their  power  largely 
through  volition  on  the  part  of  the  recipient  of  the 
suggestion — which  volition  is  begotten  of  intelligence. 
Any  exercise  of  compulsion  against  a  patient's  volition 

302 


PRACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY     303 

should  be  considered  as  possibly  an  offence  against  in- 
telligence. To  ignore  the  existence  of  any  intelligence 
when  a  certain  amount  really  assists  is  bad  policy  in 
psychotherapy.  Multitudes  of  people  may  be  won  by 
reason  who  would  instantly  become  obstinate  and 
mutinous  if  kept  in  ignorance.  .  It  follows  that  if  people 
seem  unreasonable  in  their  obstinacy  they  may  not 
have  been  properly  informed — provided  the  subject- 
matter  be  capable  of  reasonable  explanation. 

{b)  Instruct  patients  never  to  force  themselves  to  do 
anything.  They  should  be  mentally  inducted  to  see 
the  wisdom  of  allowing  themselves  -to  think  and  act 
reasonably.  On  entering  upon  new  ways  of  employ- 
ing the  power  of  thought,  patients  under  treatment 
may  come  to  you,  with  pride,  with  an  instance  of  their 
developing  powers,  in  such  a  remark  as :  "I  made 
myself  go  for  a  walk,  as  you  told  me."  The  physician's 
reply  had  better  be :  "I  did  not  tell  you  to  make  any- 
thing, excepting  such  articles  as  you  may  like  to  fashion 
with  your  hands.  Next  time  take  my  advice,  just 
let  yourself  act,  nicely  and  easily."  Another  will 
remark  :  "  I  try  to  think."  "  Then  do  not  try  "  is  the 
best  answer,  which  to  the  patient  will  usually  be 
surprising.  "All  you  need  to  do  is  just  quietly  and 
easily  to  let  yourself  think ;  it  is  so  much  easier." 

(<:)  //  a  reasonable  suggestion  be  not  at  once 
responded  to^  it  indicates  that  you  are  going  too  fast^ 
other  things  being  equal.  You  may  not  make  good 
progress  if  you  try  to  get  your  patient  to  read  a  classic 
before  you  have  taught  him  enough  grammar.     If  a 


304  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

patient  appears  dull  you  must  not  conclude  at  once 
that  he  is  incapable  of  learning.  All  normal  minds 
are  not  by  any  means  equally  rapid  in  acquiring 
knowledge ;  much  more,  therefore,  shall  we  be  likely  to 
find  variation  in  the  abnormal.  This  is  seen  in  both 
physical  and  mental  results. 

(d)  Always  bear  in  mind  that  yon  are  dealing  with 
a  patient  who^  in  his  disorder ^  may  not  be  capable^  for 
the  time,  of  being  wholly  single-minded.  It  is  your 
business  to  help  him  to  be  so.  He  may  tell  you  that 
he  cannot  play  golf,  but  after  treatment  he  may 
astonish  you  by  going  forth  and  playing.  This  means 
that  his  supraconscious  idea  has  been  out  of  harmony 
with  his  subconscious  inclination,  and  that  now  he  is 
actuated  more  by  the  latter,  which  has  been  in- 
ducted. If,  again,  he  tells  you  that  playing  golf 
caused  him  pain,  this  may  not  be  in  accordance  with 
his  experience  in  the  subconsciousness,  which  may  be 
capable  of  admitting  that  he  had  no  pain.  A  patient 
comes  to  be  single-minded — and  therefore  ceases  to  be 
a  patient — when  his  supraconsciousness  at  length 
admits  that  he  can  play  golf  and  that  it  does  not  really 
cause  him  pain. 

(e)  Never  allow  yourself  to  be  angry  with  a  patient 
under  any  circumstances  whatsoever.  You  may  be  very 
strong,  and  as  firm  in  argument,  as  unbending  in 
urging  your  claim,  or  in  insisting  upon  obedience,  as 
ever  you  please ;  but  never  more  than  this. 

In  order  to  demonstrate  the  sincerity  and  integrity 
of  this  rule,  I  have  even  extended  it  in  giving  advice 


PRACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY      305 

to  those  who  feel  obhged  to  exercise  force  in  cases  of 
dementia  or  mania :  attendants  should  never  allow 
themselves  to  get  angry.  If  they  will  cultivate  this 
plan  they  will  not  only  save  themselves  much  un- 
necessary strain,  mentally  and  physically,  but  they 
will  exercise  a  stronger  control  over  the  patient.  Up 
to  the  very  day  of  the  publication  of  this  book  I  know 
of  certain  high-class  attendants,  employed  even  by 
leading  mental  experts  of  this  country,  who  practically 
fight  their  patients  every  time  they  find  it  necessary 
to  control  them,  using  aggravating  violence,  accom- 
panied by  threatening  expressions  and  even  by  swear- 
ing. When  the  word  of  a  patient  is  disbelieved  it 
is  of  little  use  for  him  to  report  any  conduct  or  language 
shown  by  the  attendants,  which  has  been  displayed, 
it  may  be,  behind  closed  doors.  The  disposition 
to  get  angry  is  very  naturally  aroused  in  those  who 
know  no  better.  It  has  not  been  for  me  to  correct  many 
instances  which  have  been  described  to  me;  I  could 
not  interfere  without  being  guilty  of  a  breach  of  eti- 
quette; but  there  they  have  existed,  and  some  still 
exist.  Patients  should  be  taught  to  regard  rather  than 
be  afraid.  "Serves  them  right,"  says  an  attendant 
who  knows  no  better,  and  has  never  been  taught  better. 
When  a  patient  sees  that  firmness  and  strength  are 
applied  with  consideration  this  does  not  rouse  his 
opposition  nearly  so  much  as  a  display  of  heated 
animus,  which  will  arouse  retaliation  for  a  long  time. 
The  former  will  give  the  patient  to  understand  that 
opposition  will  be  of  no  use;  the  latter  will  provoke 

30 


3o6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

him  and  increase  his  determination  to  fight  "the 
devils  "  more  than  ever. 

(/)  Never  allow  a  patient  to  be  angry.  It  should  be 
patiently  and  repeatedly  explained  that  nothing  is 
required  or  necessary  but  clear,  simple,  accurate  think- 
ing, however  vexatious  anything  may  seem, 

(^)  Never  deceive  a  patient  who  has  sufficient  sense 
to  accept  straightforward  reasoning.  If  there  does 
not  seem  to  be  sufficient  reasoning  power  some  amount 
of  tactful  dissimulation  may  be  necessary.  If,  for 
instance,  a  patient  does  not  sleep  at  night,  and  refuses 
to  take  any  sedative,  being  obsessed,  you  may  find  it 
advisable  to  give  some  sort  of  sedative  in  food  which 
will  conceal  it. 

{h)  Teach  the  difference  between  a  white  and  a  black 
falsehood;  for  otherwise  you  may  be  asked  by  a  patient 
why,  if  she  can  giw&  this  excuse,  she  is  rebuked  for 
offering  that. 

(i)  Always  carry  in  mind  tJie  very  great  value  of  the 
emotional  in  induction  by  words  spoken,  being  care- 
ful, however,  not  to  create  too  severe  misgivings. 

(/')  Always  judge  a  patient  by  what  he  does  rather 
than  by  what  he  says.  When  a  certain  amount  of 
dissociation  exists,  the  representations  of  the  supra- 
conscious  mind  cannot  be  depended  upon.  A  patient 
may  declare  that  he  cannot  walk,  but  may  afterwards 
be  heard  to  walk  to  and  from  the  window,  having  had 
the  impulse  to  shut  the  latter;  thus  he  may  induct 
himself  to  falsehood,  and  declare  he  did  not  do  so, 
wh?n    challenged.     Again,    he    may    not    know    in 


PRACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY     307 

the  supraconscious  mind  that  he  did  shut  the 
window. 

(k)  Detecting  falsehood  is  a  powerful  means  of 
eifecting  association.  By  this  means  the  patient  is 
persuaded  to  reconcile  the  contradictory  tendency 
which  exists  between  the  subconsciousness  and  the 
supraconsciousness,  and  to  bring  the  two  into  har- 
mony by  emotional  bonds  and  linkings.  It  is  very 
interesting  at  times  to  observe  how  a  patient  can  hardly 
believe  that  he  has  just  told  a  lie  when  immediately 
after  it  has  been  told,  a  better  association  is  effected ; 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  his  astonishment  may 
be  either  real  or  assumed. 

(/)  Is! ever  let  a  patient  study  other  patients  excepting 
under  your  purposive  direction.  A  good  deal  may 
be  learned  from  other  patients,  for  good  or  ill,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances  which  only  the  physician  is  able 
to  take  into  proper  account. 

{m)  Take  pains  to  employ  the  simplest  teachings 
possible.  Some  of  my  best  patients  have  been  clever 
university  professors,  and  in  dealing  with  such  I  have 
found  that  the  patent  simplicity  of  everything  I  have 
uttered  has  had  far  more  effect  than  similar  words 
have  had  in  the  case  of  the  more  simple-minded. 
Simplicity  has  the  greater  effect  the  higher  the 
intellectual  capacity.  This  will  surprise  some  of  my 
uninitiated  readers,  but  will  be  understood  without 
my  mentioning  it  by  any  experienced  teacher. 

in)  Never  allow  any  remark  of  yours  to  be  misunder- 
stood.   Instruct  p9,tients  to  ask  the  meaning  of  any- 


3o8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

thing  which  does  not  seem  clear.  On  no  account 
should  there  be  any  mystery  in  connection  with  any- 
thing done  or  referred  to.  Anything  mysterious 
should  be  deemed  an  insult  where  any  intelligence 
exists.  A  scientific  physician  should  be  able  to  find 
methods  which  are  neither  derogatory  to  himself  nor 
offensive  to  any  of  his  patients. 

(o)  Always  take  a  patient's  word  without  question- 
ings unless  you  have  good  reason  to  doubt;  then  give 
this  reason.  By  this  means  patients  are  helped  to 
believe  in  themselves.  Even  after  detecting  a  lie,  go 
on  assuming  the  truth  (after  exposing  the  lie)  until 
you  find  another.  Thus  you  induct  for  the  truth. 
Analysis  (simple)  is  proceeding  all  the  time,  and  will 
bring  out  contradictions  and  misrepresentations. 

{p)  Never  make  a  manipulation  or  a  movement^  nor 
direct  it  or  allow  it^  as  affecting  the  patienty  without 
offering  an  explanation.  There  should  be  no  palpa- 
tions whatever  which  are  not  understood — not  even 
the  simplest  touching. 

{q)  Choose  the  m,ore  restful  times  of  the  day  for  treat- 
ment in  difficult  cases.  After  lunch  or  tea  is  a  good 
time.  But  when  a  disorder  requires  a  course  of 
re-education,  the  patient  being  physically  fit  and 
steady  all  the  time,  any  hour  of  the  day  that  is  con- 
venient will  be  suitable  for  the  lessons. 

{f)  Welcome  difficulty  and  eiijoy  dealing  with  it. 
Any  appearance  of  disappointment  or  defeat  will  be 
looked  for  by  difficult  patients,  and  seized  upon,  if 
possible,  for  a  perfect  revelling  in  of  "  negatives."  Show 


PRACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY     309 

your  power  in  helping  the  patient  to  exhibit  his  own 
power.  He  will  learn  to  imitate,  and  to  be  less  afraid 
of  anything.  In  this  way  a  physician  will  develop  his 
own  power  as  he  goes  on.  If  he  shows  disappointment 
he  will  produce  it  in  his  patient;  he  will  soon  want  a 
holiday  himself.  Even  if  an  incident  is  unavoidably 
disappointing,  it  may  well  be  treated  in  a  spirit  of 
armour-plate  defiance,  for  this  will  develop  emulation. 

(s)  Direct  your  best  mind  towards  making  your 
fatient  well.  Once  you  have  undertaken  a  case 
because  you  have  reason  to  think  you  will  succeed,  put 
every  other  consideration  aside  save  the  determina- 
tion to  win  to  the  normal.  There  are  men  who  do 
not  believe  in  curing  lunatics,  who  imagine  that  they 
need  only  be  kept  from  doing  harm,  and  argue  that 
they  are  never  worth  curing.  Such  might  be  the 
opinions  of  ultra-eugenists,  but  the  idea  cannot  be 
entertained  by  the  present  writer,  and  the  majority 
agree.  The  spirit  which  obtains  the  best  results  will 
also  profit  better  than  any  other  in  the  end ;  it  reaches 
people  who  are  cheerfully  willing  to  pay  fees. 

(/)  When  yo7i  benefit  another  you  benefit  self.  This 
is  one  of  the  best  aphorisms  to  teach  any  patient  who 
through  illness  has  become  selfish,  self-centred,  and 
self-fearful.  The  truth  of  it  is  as  irrefutable  as  one 
might  expect  a  fundamental  philosophical  truism  to 
be,  when  it  is  begotten  of  the  great  purpose  of  the 
creator  of  all  things. 

But  the  desire  to  benefit  must  be  honest.  It  must 
not  be  a  makebelieve,  or  it  may  be  hurtful  in  its  recoil, 


3i0  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

like  the  boomerang  flung  by  careless  hands.  Thd 
intention  of  an  act  must  be  straight;  it  must  not  be 
performed  in  order  to  obtain  cheap  plaudits  in  respect  of 
its  apparent  virtue.  An  overbalance  of  self-sacrifice 
should,  of  course,  be  guarded  against,  as  possibly  or 
actually  unwise,  and  as  likely  to  defeat  its  own  purpose. 
Psychotherapy  is  therefore  likely  to  be  very  whole- 
some work  if  properly  understood  and  practised. 

(u)  See  your  patient  alone  as  a  rule.  A  person's 
ill-health  should  primarily  be  his  own  concern;  he 
ought  to  feel  that  when  he  is  of  value  to  himself  it 
is  time  for  him  to  be  of  value  to  others,  and  he  should 
look  forward  to  being  so.  A  patient  should  therefore 
not  want  a  third  party  present,  unless  at  first  he  or 
she  should  be  afraid;  if  so,  the  fear  should  straight- 
way be  treated,  until  it  ceases  to  exist.  A  physician 
to  be  of  any  account  should  require  no  one  else  to  be 
present,  having  found  that  a  new  patient  is  neither  a 
dangerous  lunatic  nor  one  of  criminal  potentiality.  A 
psychotherapist's  thinking  and  speaking  powers  ought 
to  be  his  best  weapons  of  defence,  provided  the  patient 
can  so  far  understand  him;  he  will  never  be  very 
successful  if  he  does  not  act  in  an  openly  honest  manner 
with  his  patient. 

Third  parties  often  confuse  the  patient,  who  may  be 
deeply  considering  his  own  private  thoughts  as  well 
as  the  physician's.  This  does  not  seem  to  agree  with 
the  fact  that  in  certain  foreign  clinics  the  assembling 
of  many  patients  in  the  same  room  for  treatment  is 
favoured  for  various  reasons.     It  is  true  that  good 


PRACTICE  Ot  PSYCHOTHERAPV     311 

results  are  to  be  obtained  in  the  ensemble^  especially 
when  patients  are  impressed  with  the  thought  that 
others  are  being  similarly  benefited.  Individual 
treatment,  however,  is  bound  to  produce  the  greatest 
percentage  of  successes,  as  is  the  case  with  instruction 
of  any  kind.  Treating  patients  before  others  in  a 
hospital  ward  will  not  give  good  results,  for  any 
staring  curiosity  is  bound  to  be  most  disconcerting. 

On  the  contrary,  if  your  patient  is  unreasonably 
disputatious  or  awkwardly  untruthful,  the  presence  of 
a  third  party  may  act  like  a  charm. 

{v)  If  you  do  not  succeed,  try  to  find  out  why,  and 
adopt  other  lines  of  induction.  Never  at  once  con- 
clude that  the  patient  is  a  bad  subject ;  it  may  be  more 
correct  to  decide  that  your  method  is  not  a  suitable 
one  for  the  particular  personality  or  state  you  are 
dealing  with. 

(w)  Remember  that  effectual  induction  will  depend 
upon  certain  sequences  in  acts  and  arguments  designed 
to  fit  each  case.  If  you  miss  the  links  in  a  chain  of 
reasoning  you  may  be  obliged  to  begin  again.  If  you 
too  hastily  contradict,  this  may  break  the  course  of 
the  treatment  and  give  you  trouble. 

{x)  Direct  suggestion  may  be  good  at  times,  but 
indirect  suggestion  must  always  be  far  more  effectual. 
Clearing  a  garden  of  weeds  will  always  be  better  than 
spudding  odd  thistles.  If  a  patient  is  afraid  of  a  thing, 
and  is  told  that  he  need  not  be,  he  may  so  far  accept 
the  idea  and  be  cured.  But  the  fact  that  he  is  afraid 
when  he  ought  not  to  be  is  conclusive  evidence  that  his 


312  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

nervous  system  is  abnormally  sensitive,  for  a  normal 
person  would  not  be  thus  afraid.  Therefore  his  nervous 
system  requires  treatment,  and  then  the  particular  fear 
may  vanish  without  any  direct  reference  to  it  what- 
ever. "  You  will  now  be  less  afraid  of  anything  "  will 
be  of  greater  value  than,  "You  will  not  be  afraid  of 
that  particular  thing."  Direct  reference,  of  course, 
may  often  be  usefully  included. 

A  study  of  relapses  under  defective  technique  in 
cases  treated  by  inexperienced  physicians  has  conclu- 
sively indicated  that  the  direct  method  employed  has 
accounted  for  them.  A  single  "  negative  arc  "  is  prac- 
tically non-existent.  It  would  be  as  difficult  to  find 
a  thistle  by  itself  in  a  field ;  there  are  sure  to  be  other 
weeds  somewhere.  If  you  take  away  only  one  nega- 
tive, you  will  have  remaining  negatives  (however 
small)  which  make  for  more,  and  in  course  of  time 
these  will  bring  back  the  principal  one  which  was 
originally  complained  of.  The  whole  field  should 
therefore  be  cleared,  and  the  particular  weed  with  it. 

(y)  Always  bear  in  mind  that  arguments  with  the 
supraconscious  mind  are  worth  nothing  as  compared 
with  the  force  of  arguments  with  the  subconscious 
mind.  The  best  plan  to  adopt  is  to  gather  together 
the  patient's  ideas  in  simple  conversation,  making 
roUgh  notes  of  them  as  he  speaks;  then  you  should 
answer  them  when  you  have  reached  the  subconscious 
mind.  It  is  utter  waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  treat  diffi- 
cult cases  by  any  form  of  supraconscious  conversation. 
It  follows  that  this  degree  of  proportional  value  will 


t^RACTICE  OF  PSYCHOTHERAPY     313 

obtain  even  in  quite  simple  disorders.  The  concep- 
tion of  what  is  right  will  first  be  entertained  by  the 
subconscious  mind,  which  will  ultimately  correct  the 
supraconscious  mind. 

The  method  advocated  by  some  mental  specialists 
which  they  term  "employing  psychotherapeutic  con- 
versations," may  sound  important,  but  it  is  com- 
paratively useless,  and  may  even  be  worse  than  use- 
less. Most  experts  have  found  out  how  vain  it  is  to 
attempt  to  conduct  ordinary  arguments  with  neuras- 
thenics and  phobiacs,  however  cunningly  and  care- 
fully the  debating  points  may  be  selected  and  applied. 
Nay,  more,  argument  on  the  supraconscious  plane 
usually  serves  to  provoke  the  patient  to  search  for 
more  points  to  the  contrary.  If  a  patient  could  be 
successfully  dealt  with  by  ordinary  conversation,  then 
there  would  be  hardly  anything  the  matter  with 
him. 

I  should  like  to  warn  those  neurologists  who  will 
persist  in  delivering  the  emphatic  diagnosis  :  "Nothing 
the  matter  with  her  really — only  she  will  not  believe 
it " :  there  is  usually  so  much  the  matter  in  these 
cases  that  it  is  not  properly  understood.  Such  cases 
may  be  aggravating  when  "  they  will  not  believe."  The 
truth  is  that  they  require  a  treatment  which  to-day  is 
very  special,  but  which  before  very  long  will  be 
comparatively  ordinary,  namely,  efficient  suggestion. 

(z)  Avoid  asking  patients  how  they  are.  Find  ozit 
how  they  are^  by  observing,  or  by  asking  others  what 
they  have  observed.  This  rule  follows  naturally  from  the 


314  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

truism  that  replies  cannot  be  depended  upon  in  an 
inco-ordinated  mentality ;  merely  to  elicit  a  misrepre- 
sentation or  an  incorrect  conception  will  not  help  dis- 
order. The  very  neglect  to  ask  about  symptoms  teaches 
the  patient  also  to  cease  referring  to  them.  Of  course, 
here  and  there  a  question  may  be  necessary,  if  informa- 
tion cannot  be  obtained  in  any  more  satisfactory  way. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

ON    FAILURES 

Does  one  have  failures?  I  have  failed  when  there 
has  not  been  enough  mind  in  the  patient  to  work  upon. 
And  here  I  should  like  to  recommend  beginners  in 
psychotherapy  to  consider  patients  not  so  much  with 
regard  to  their  insanity,  but  rather  in  the  regard  to 
their  sanity.  What  sense  is  there  left  in  the  patient  ? 
This  should  be  the  query  in  taking  a  case.  Relatives 
and  even  doctors  will  call  one  aside,  and  refer  to  such 
and  such  symptoms  as  "  surely  insane."  I  am  obliged 
to  refuse  to  converse  in  this  mood.  I  prefer  to  say  : 
"Please  tell  me  what  is  sensible  about  the  patient." 
I  practise  and  advocate  a  development  from  what  is 
sane  into  what  is  saner,  until  there  is  no  room  for 
anything  but  sanity.  "It  is  the  mind,  I  suppose, 
doctor  ?"  says  a  mother.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  the 
mind  ?"  I  ask.  "  Well,  she  is  insane,  is  she  not  ?  Her 
aunt,  you  know,  was  so."  I  decline  to  accept  the  idea 
either  from  the  aunt's  case  or  the  patient's  indications 
of  eccentricity.  "  I  cannot  think ;  I  know  I  am  going 
off  my  head,"  says  a  patient.  My  reply  is  that  the 
patient  is  obviously  able  to  think,  or  she  would  not 
be  able  to  speak  in  so  sensible  a  manner.     Is  there  any 

315 


3i6  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

wonder  that  such  a  patient  often  feels  better  after  the 
first  interview?  On  the  other  hand,  some  cryptic 
response,  such  as  "  Very  dreadful,"  accompanied  by  a 
silent,  superior  side-look  of  impatience,  or  "We  will 
consider  what  we  shall  do,"  may  bring  about  more 
confusion  and  distress  than  ever,  enough  to  necessitate 
an  increase  of  the  "  sleeping  stuff "  resorted  to. 

If  one  were  to  judge  that  the  nature  of  earth  were 
poor  because  of  weeds  growing  instead  of  good 
corn,  great  mistakes  might  be  made.  I  recollect  a 
Scotsman  of  my  acquaintance  making  a  little  fortune 
from  his  purchase  of  an  estate  which  had  crumbling 
buildings  upon  it,  with  grass-grown  gardens  all 
around.  For  years  it  had  been  mistaken  for  something 
in  some  way  hopelessly  blighted.  "  There  is  value  in 
all  this,  if  I  pull  down  and  build  up,"  he  ruminated. 
There  was  a  fine  position  and  good  soil;  that  was 
enough  for  him.  Incidentally  he  found  some  very 
valuable  Italian  marble  mantelpieces  among  the  debris. 

I  have  had  failures  because  physical  defects  had  been 
overlooked  by  others.  A  patient  suffering  from  mania 
was  restless  and  even  violent ;  she  had  run  away  from 
a  medical  home  where  she  had  been  for  some  weeks. 
Her  case  was  sent  to  me  as  "purely  nervous."  In 
deference  to  the  well-known  physician  who  sent  the 
case  to  me,  and  counting  upon  the  care  with  which 
her  case  had  been  dealt  with  at  a  well-known 
home,  I  concluded  that  all  physical  examinations  had 
been  made.  I  soon  found  that  psychotherapy  was  not 
sufficient  to  improve  her  condition.     She  became  so 


ON  FAILURES  31/ 

violent  that  removal  to  further  control  was  necessary. 
General  measures,  including  high  enemata,  cured  her 
very  quickly.  She  was  really  not  in  a  fit  condition  to 
be  passed  on  to  a  psychotherapist  at  all. 

In  another  instance,  the  friends  of  a  man  had  heard 
of  a  former  case  of  cure,  and  were  very  anxious  for  the 
man  to  come  into  my  care.  His  local  attendant  con- 
sented, and  the  patient  came.  I  placeci  confidence  in 
the  local  attendant's  judgment  that  the  patient  was 
a  suitable  case — one  of  nervous  dyspepsia,  as  he  had 
described  it.  When  he  arrived  I  found  him  not  only 
more  mentally  deranged  than  had  been  represented, 
but  in  a  physical  condition  that  was  hopeless.  He 
had  no  mind  to  work  upon,  with  a  body  that  was  so 
emaciated  that  it  was  not  equal  to  keeping  "a  soul 
alive."  I  forgive  the  local  attendant,  for  he  had  been 
previously  informed  that  another  patient  sent  to  me 
had  been  cured  as  by  a  miracle ;  he  probably  thought 
there  was  no  limit  at  all  as  to  the  possibilities  of  the 
treatment. 

A  case  of  concealment  of  real  condition  is  not  with- 
out interest.  A  lady  had  been  ill  for  years.  I  had 
treated  her  for  nervous  dyspepsia  for  a  few  weeks  some 
four  years  previously.  She  now  sent  for  me  complain- 
ing of  insomnia  and  of  feeling  very  ill.  She  had  had 
so  many  doctors  years  ago  that  she  would  not  send 
for  any  but  the  one  who  had  cured  her  dyspepsia, 
as  she  explained.  I  told  her  she  ought  to  have  a  local 
doctor.  She  declined ;  I  therefore  treated  her  for 
insomnia,  and  recommended  a  certain  dietary.     No 


3i8  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

improvement.  She  seemed  to  worry  over  my  ques- 
tions as  to  her  general  condition.  I  did  not  like  her 
demeanour.  She  turned  unaccountably  irritable,  and 
began  to  blame  me  for  not  curing  her  insomnia.  I  was 
not  satisfied  about  her  feeding,  and,  whether  it  might 
worry  her  or  no,  I  determined  to  examine  her  stomach.  I 
found  advanced  cancer  of  the  left  breast  and  growths 
in  other  places.  She  had  known,  before  sending  for 
me  complaining  of  insomnia,  that  she  was  going  to  her 
doom  suffering  from  a  disease  which  she  dare  not 
think  or  speak  about;  she  had  hoped  that  I  should 
only  trouble  about  the  insomnia  and  "the  remaining 
old  indigestion."  She  had  concealed  her  real  con- 
dition from  her  daughter  and  all  her  most  intimate 
relatives. 

A  failure  in  the  case  of  a  medical  man  is  instructive. 
He  suffered  from  such  advanced  neurasthenia  and 
melancholia  that  he  became  bedridden  for  many 
months,  and  at  length  refused  further  advice,  after 
having  been  attended  by  many  medical  men.  He 
aggravated  everybody  by  taking  things  of  his  own 
prescribing,  making  all  attendance  on  the  part  of 
even  nurses  impossible.  Insane  obstinacy  were  the 
only  words  which  could  adequately  describe  his  condi- 
tion. He  simply  disputed  and  resisted  everything 
that  could  be  devised  to  help  him.  When  I  declined 
to  treat  him  any  longer  his  relatives  compelled  his 
removal  to  a  home.  There  his  obstinacy  went  even 
further,  and  he  refused  all  food.  I  wrestled  most 
earnestly  with  the  difficulties  of  his  case  for  some 


ON  FAILURES  3i9 

weeks,  and  had  implanted  a  great  deal  that  was 
beneficial  in  his  subconscious  mind;  but  he  declined 
to  be  persuaded.  Ultimately  he  was  taken  from  the 
home  and  placed  under  complete  control.  He  was 
then  fed  by  force.  This  provided  just  the  one  thing 
necessary  to  make  cure  possible.  He  was  wholly 
compelled,  even  physically.  This  put  an  end  to  his 
opposition ;  further  subconscious  training  at  my  hands 
did  the  rest.  Alienists  perhaps  might  say  that  "  sug- 
gestion" had  nothing  to  do  with  his  cure:  it  is  for 
this  reason  that  I  give  his  case  as  a  failure. 

A  case  of  morphia-taking  was  once  sent  to  me,  the 
patient  being  a  man  who  had  been  subject  to  nerve- 
strain  for  many  months.  The  explanatory  informa- 
tion was  given  to  me  by  a  medical  consultant  that 
the  patient  had  had  an  accident  some  time  previously^ 
and  had  suffered  greatly  from  a  wound  cicatrix. 
Moreover,  he  had  been  greatly  afraid  of  cancer,  and  I 
was  asked  if  it  were  possible  to  get  this  idea  out 
of  his  mind.  When  the  patient  arrived  I  was  not  at 
all  pleased  with  his  physical  condition.  I  judged  him 
to  be  in  an  advanced  state  of  weakness.  I  examined 
the  cicatrix  and  the  abdomen,  and  formed  the  opinioa 
that  he  was  dying  from  cancer  which  had  spread 
internally.  I  succeeded  in  relieving  him  very  con- 
siderably to  the  end,  however,  especially  as  to  his 
state  of  mind.  But  what  did  the  consultant  really 
send  him  to  me  for  ?  Did  everybody  believe  he  had 
no  cancer?  Or  was  it  the  plain  intention  to  land  a 
difficult   and   desperate  case  upon   somebody   else?- 


320  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

The  patient  declared  from  the  first  that  he  felt  greatly 
relieved  at  being  away  from  home. 

When  I  have  asked  the  reader  to  bear  in  mind  that 
many  cases  of  alcoholism  really  belong  to  the  category 
of  mental  unsoundness,  the  latter  being  the  primary 
condition,  the  likelihood  of  many  failures  in  the  employ- 
ment of  any  treatment  whatsoever  for  this  affliction 
will  be  easily  understood.  In  some  of  my  failures 
insanity  of  a  hopeless  type,  and  stigmata  of  degenera- 
tion, have  been  only  too  obvious. 

A  study  of  one  or  two  examples  will  help. 

A  young  man,  an  only  child,  had  been  more  or  less 
spoilt  from  infancy.  He  was  good-natured  but  at 
times  unreasonably  irritable;  he  was  very  fond  of 
cheerful  company.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  used  with 
others  to  visit  drinking  bars.  He  was  too  well  off 
to  do  any  serious  work.  His  parents  were  naturally 
anxious,  but  they  were  very  lenient  towards  him,  being 
inclined  to  be  gentle,  and  to  excuse  him  readily  after 
administering  mild  reproofs.  I  found  him  to  be  easy, 
smiling,  and  affable.  He  had  sense  of  a  kind,  and  in 
some  directions  he  appeared  even  clever.  But  some- 
thing was  wanting.  He  was  shallow  in  his  replies 
to  questions  as  to  his  amusements.  He  misrepresented 
facts,  and  he  could  not  clearly  follow  arguments  about 
his  case.  He  invented  excuses  very  readily,  not 
hesitating  to  tell  very  clumsy  falsehoods.  He  said  he 
never  got  into  a  real  temper,  but  only  felt  very  annoyed 
inwardly  about  things  at  times.  I  found  that  he  often 
had  these  sensations  of  inward  annoyance  before  bouts 


ON  FAILURES  321 

o£  drinking.     He  improved  greatly  for  some  weeks 
under  treatment,  but  eventually  became  insane. 

Another  very  similar  case  of  failure  may  be  referred 
to — that  of  a  man  in  the  twenties.  He  displayed  great 
ability  in  certain  directions;  was  very  conceited,  and 
often  laboured  under  suppressed  excitement.  He  was 
given  to  telling  falsehoods  very  freely,  almost  stupidly. 
He  improved  greatly,  but  broke  down  occasionally. 
He  also  admitted  having  a  temper  which  did  not 
display  itself,  but  which  tended  to  "boil  inwardly." 
Affable,  good-natured,  and  energetic,  he  revealed 
indications  of  permanent  mental  instability. 

I  have  found  cases  of  incurable  dipsomania  in 
epileptic  families  frequently  enough  to  be  note- 
worthy. 

A  failure  of  another  kind  may  be  mentioned  :  the 
case  of  a  man  who  was  always  under  the  disordered 
impression  that  he  was  hardly  dealt  with  by  every- 
body, by  his  wife,  by  business  people,  by  doctors,  and 
by  most  people  with  whom  he  came  into  contact.  He 
had  a  badly  shaped  head,  and  gave  me  the  impression 
that  his  future,  if  he  lived  long  enough,  would  be  one 
of  further  mental  derangement.  He  had  actually 
attempted  suicide.  He  got  quite  well  when  taken 
away  from  everybody  he  knew,  but  broke  down  at 
once  on  returning  home  or  on  mixing  again  with  old 
acquaintances.  A  business  worry,  either  real  or 
imagined,  would  send  him  wrong  at  once.  No  man 
was  more  readily  cured  for  months  on  end,  so  long  as 
the  surroundings  were  not  the  usual  ones  of  his  previous 


^22  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

life,  and  so  long  as  he  was  under  direction  and  under- 
going nerve  training. 

The  best  psychotherapists  will  have  failures  amongst 
cases  of  sexual  disorder,  for  here  we  have  often  to  deal 
with  the  highly  artistic  and  emotional,  who  exhibit 
uncontrollable  flights  of  fancy,  and  lose  themselves  in 
outpourings  of  enthusiastic  appreciation.  We  have 
only  to  make  a  study  of  pervert  art  to  imagine  the 
impossibility  of  curing  the  majority  of  its  converts: 
they  are  subject  to  functional  disorder.  In  an  era  of 
cubism  in  painting  and  cacophany  in  music  we  are  likely 
to  find  many  people  hopelessly  deranged  in  their 
sexual  life. 

Among  my  failures  in  this  class  of  case,  I  may 
refer  to  a  good-looking  youth  of  exalted  parentage. 
He  was  inordinately  vain,  and  one  could  not  help 
observing  in  him  signs  of  inherited  mental  disorder. 
When  I  refer  to  mental  disorder  in  cases  of  sexual 
perversion  and  alcoholism,  I  mean  something  that  is 
likely  to  be  permanent  and  unalterable  by  any  known 
means;  so  that  in  these  cases  the  sexual  and  dipso- 
maniac features  must  also  be  incurable.  This  youth 
was  openly  proud  of  his  disorderly  sexual  tendencies, 
and  declared  that  he  had  only  come  to  me  because  he 
had  been  asked  to  do  so.  He  was  quite  pleased  to 
admit  perversions  and  inversions,  and  to  abide  by  all 
possible  consequences.  He  wanted  neither  help  nor 
guidance,  he  said. 

I  have  failed  in  the  case  of  a  medical  man  who 
suffered    from    lifelong    sexual    inversion;    he    had 


ON  FAILURES  323 

developed  such  mental  distress  on  realising  the 
difficult  position  in  which  he  was  ultimately  placed 
by  his  disorder,  that  inordinate  fears  and  dreads 
developed,  with  which  no  form  of  treatment  by  sugges- 
tion would  be  likely  to  cope.  The  history  of  his  case 
was  extremely  interesting  to  me:  his  earliest  experi- 
ences appeared  to  have  developed  from  an  inherited 
oversensitiveness  of  the  sexual  organs,  which  I  have 
found  to  have  been  the  case  with  many  patients 
afflicted  with  an  inverted  disposition ;  their  desire  has 
received  its  first  response  from  one  of  the  same  sex, 
and  this  occurring  at  an  age  when  the  system  was  ripe 
for  learning  things,  has  become  so  firmly  established 
under  feelings  of  hyperemotion  that  a  reversal  of  the 
condition  in  most  instances  will  be  extremely  difficult 
to  effect,  even  by  a  long  course  of  neuroinduction. 

One  may  fail  to  cure  constipation  if  stasis  or  organic 
obstruction  of  too  long  duration  stands  in  the  way. 
This  should  go  without  saying. 


CHAPTER   XXIIl 

THE   P'UTURE 

Psychotherapy  has  now  passed  very  far  beyond  the 
experimental  stage.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  to 
wonder  whether  it  is  worthy  of  being  considered  as 
of  serious  and  permanent  value  or  no.  Its  future  is 
assured.  Whatever  may  have  been  its  shortcomings 
while  in  the  hands  of  the  pioneers  of  the  past,  who 
so  nobly  struggled  against  heavy  odds  of  prejudice 
and  sheer  ignorance,  it  is  now  recognised  and 
countenanced  as  an  established  science.  Former  oppo- 
sition was  mainly  due  to  the  mistaken  and  persistent 
conviction — very  pardonable  at  one  time,  no  doubt — 
that  the  treatment  was  most  objectionably  potent,  in 
that  it  involved  some  personal  control  over  another's 
will-power.  It  is  easily  seen  to-day  that  neuroinduc- 
tion,  far  from  being  a  treatment  which  essentially 
involves  the  power  of  alienating  the  will-power  of 
another,  is,  by  its  very  nature  and  method  of  applica- 
tion, a  means  of  restoring  the  will-power  not  to  be 
equalled  in  efficacy  by  any  other  known  agency.  This 
must  be  the  verdict  of  scientists  in  this  year  of  grace 
191 8 — a  verdict  which  no  conceivable  arguments  of 
the  future  can  upset ;  its  truth  is  as  final  as  the  law  of 
gravity,  or  any  other  scientific  truth. 

324 


THE  FUTURE  525 

Medical  men  must  therefore  not  only  cease  to  oppose 
psychotherapy;  they  must  cheerfully  and  whole- 
heartedly come  forward  to  accept  its  great  scientific 
facts.  There  can  now  be  no  excuse  for  opposition. 
The  subject  may  be  found  difficult — many  compara- 
tively new  procedures  are:  I  have  chosen  to  admit 
that,  at  first,  and  in  certain  respects,  it  is  so,  and  for 
the  best  reasons.  But  what  work  has  ever  been  initiated 
that  has  not  become  easier  and  easier  as  time  and 
understanding  have  "cleared  the  air"?  I  have 
attempted  to  explain  procedure  with  a  desire  to  help, 
as  a  later  pioneer;  I  have  endeavoured  to  pass  on 
my  knowledge  and  experience  for  the  benefit  of  others, 
so  that,  by  their  working  on  similar  lines,  a  much 
greater  progress  may  very  soon  be  achieved  than  that 
to  which  I  have  attained. 

Fashions  in  therapy  have  existed  at  every  stage  of  the 
history  of  medicine,  but  in  this  book  we  go  beyond 
the  possibility  of  incurring  that  insecurity  of  tenure 
which  merely  whimsical  or  fanciful  work  deserves. 
Every  effort  has  been  studiously  made  to  steer 
clear  of  speculation,  not  so  much  in  a  spirit  of  self- 
commending  virtue  as  with  a  comfortable  feeling  that 
one  has  had  no  occasion  to  do  so.  All  may  not  be 
final  that  is  here  laid  down.  Doubtless  all  is  not  final. 
I  have  at  most  been  desirous  of  soliciting  interest  and 
a  following,  by  refraining  from  making  unfair  deduc- 
tions. Moreover,  I  shall  be  instantly  prepared  to 
bow  to  any  corrector  who  can  prove  his  case,  and  to 
applaud  improvement — such  as  we  shall  surely  get 


326  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

before  long — the  moment  that  I  see  other  hands  are 
effecting  it. 

Many  cases  have  been  considered  which  serve  to 
indicate  very  plainly  that  a  valuable  therapy  has  been 
employed  with  great  success  when  everything  else  had 
failed.  To-day  it  is  obvious  that  this  therapy  should 
be  recognised  as  a  force  to  be  employed  at  the  outset 
of  certain  disorders,  once  these  can  be  accurately 
diagnosed.  Some  of  the  cases  cited  have  indi- 
cated a  painful  want  of  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the 
doctor  as  to  what  was  the  best  course  to  take,  the 
patient  refusing  to  die,  or  declining  to  go  irrecoverably 
mad,  while  a  hopeless  prognosis  was  repeatedly  offered 
in  answer  to  pitiful  appeals  made  in  well-known 
consulting-rooms. 

Cases  which  have  been  successfully  treated  by 
psychotherapy  are  growing  in  number,  and,  in  future, 
records  of  object  lessons  will  necessarily  find  their 
way  into  print;  so  that  psychotherapists  of  capacity 
and  attainment  may  henceforth  be  easy  in  their  minds. 
Medical  men  will  be  obliged  to  study  the  subject,  and 
to  conquer  their  obsessions  begotten  of  misunder- 
standing, or  they  will  remain  at  the  mercy  of  those 
who  know  better.  This  is  the  plain  issue  for  such 
as  are  recalcitrant  and  obstinate.  Psychotherapy  is 
to-day  in  a  very  strong  position,  and  it  is  likely  to 
become  much  stronger.  It  will  in  future  find  plenty 
of  material  if  such  movements  as  "  futurism  "  continue 
to  gain  ground.  There  need  be  no  anxiety  on  the 
part  of  medical  men  lest  advanced  methods  of  curing 


THE  FUTURE  327 

the  sick  should  leave  any  the  less  to  do  for  future 
practitioners.  New  cults  which  set  out  to  advocate 
perversion  and  inversion  in  art,  and  in  as  many  other 
things  as  they  can  extend  disorder  to,  instead  of  the 
naturally  beautiful,  are  almost  certain  to  be  prolific 
of  material.  Persons  who  degenerate  so  far  as  to 
devise  monstrous  contrivances  called  "noise-tuners" 
instead  of  ordinary  musical  instruments,  and  who  write 
poetry  which  not  only  includes  "Kafhr  clicks,"  but 
indicates  a  predilection  for  "  delirious  onomatopoeics," 
are  likely  to  beget  a  strange  and  perplexing  offspring 
in  abundance. 

I  am  of  opinion  that  not  many  years  will  elapse 
before  neuroinduction — as  carried  out  properly  by 
others — will  have  proved  itself  to  be  first  in  efficacy  as 
a  treatment  for  several  disorders  that  have  persist- 
ently baffled  medical  scientists  heretofore,  particularly 
diabetes,  exophthalmic  goitre,  intestinal  stasis,  and 
insanity. 

An  outstanding  derivative  of  present-day  conflicts 
of  opinion  regarding  the  formation  of  a  Ministry  of 
Health  and  a  State  Medical  Service — all  begotten  of 
the  pressing  needs  of  a  whole  world's  plight — is  the 
writing  on  the  wall,  "Better  preventive  systems  are 
wanted  against  disease."  In  neuroinduction  we  have 
a  natural  system  which  makes  for  natural  process  both 
in  the  prevention  of  certain  diseases  and  their  cure 
when  established,  whether  bodily  or  mental 


INDEX 


I'AGES 

Abdominal  bends  and  kinks,  rarity  of  . .  . .  I44"5 

Abnormal  growths,  see  Cancer,  Carcinoma,  Morbid  growthr^ 
Acne,  gastro-intestinal  disorders  in    .  .  . .  . .  . .      218 

,,     neuroinduction,  treated  by       ..  ..  ..  217-18 

, ,     puberty,  during 
Acquired  characters,  transmission  of 
A  damson,  Dr.  H.,  on  tumours 

Adhesions,  intestinal,  not  incompatible  with  health 
Adrenals,  the,  in  cancer 
Adrenin  , . 

in  cancer 
Agoraphobia 

cases  of,  treated 
causes  of 
Alcoholism         . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .      145 

neurotic  factor  in,  the 
Alimentary  tract,  disorders  of  the 

negative  circles 
Altero-association 


Altero-conduction 

Altero-induction 

Amaxophobia    . . 

Amnesia,  simulated 

Anaesthesia,  suggestion  during 

Analysis  in   psychasthenia,     (see    Self-analysis, 

analysis) 
Anger,  bad  effects  of    . 
Angiospasm 
Appendicitis,  supposed 

Arthritis,  rheumatoid,  in  exophthalmic  goitre 
auto-suggested  case  of 
Artifice,  hysterical 
Asthenox)ia         .... 
Asthma  . . 

cardiac 
,,        cases  treated  by  neuroinduction 

cauterisation,  effect  of,  in     .  . 

children,  in      .  . 

habit  in 
,,        neuroinduction,  power  of,  in 

329 


270, 


218 

17 
221-2 

144-5 
236 

177 

233 
51-8 

52-5 

52-3 

190-7 

1 90- 1 

134-54 

134-5 

■  273 

■  273 

273 

51 
287 


bought 

30 

•  •  304- ' 

91 

10 

..      186 

..      186 

■•        38 
127 

167-75 

172-3 

168-9,  174 

171.  173 

171-2 

..      171 

170 


330  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 


I'AGES 


Asthma,  neurotic  character  of           ..          ..          .,  173-4 

spasmodic  nature  of  ..  ..  167,    169,    170 

Astigmatism,  predisposing  to  epileptiform  attacks  . .    73-5 

,,                 ,,                to  phobias           ..          ..  ..       52 

,,                 ,,                to  vertigo            ..          ..  ..       73 

Asymmetry,  facial        . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     205 

Auricular  fibrillation    . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  157-8 

Auto-induction    .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     270 

Auto-inference  . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     286 

Auto-intoxication         . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     143 

Auto-suggestion            . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  270-1 

,,             ,,          obsessional     .  .           .  .           . .           .  .  .  .      287 

"  Bad  boys "     ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  ..     260 

Baldness  cured  by  neuroinduction     . .          . .          . ,  216-18 

Batophobia        . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          .  .  . .       51 

Benignant  growths  treated  by  suggestion    . .          . .  , .     227 

Birds,  uterine  antipathy  to     ..          ..          ..          ..  ..        17 

Blindness,  functional    ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  123,  126 

Blood, lust  for  . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     250 

Blood-pressure,  high     ,.          ..          ..          ..          ..  ..119 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  119-20,  156 

nervous^subjects,  in     ..          ..  ..      119 

over-eating,  due  to      ..          ..  ..      119 

Bodington,  Dr..  on  phthisis     . .          , .          . .          .  .  163-4 

Bonesetters  and  suggestion     . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     203 

"  Bonesetters  and  their  Work,"  by  the  author       . .  . .     203 

Brand.  Dr.,  on  a  case  of  thyroid  enlargement          . .  . .      184 

British    Medical    Journal,    on    radium    in    treatment  of 

cancer          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  225,  235 

British  Medical  J  our  >ial  refuses  author's  article  on  neuro- 

inductive  treatment  of  cancer     .  .          . .          . .  227-8 

Brock,  Dr.,  on  cancer   . .          , .          . .          . .          . .  . .     236 

,,           on  gastro-intestinal  disorders     . .          . .  . .      147 

Brown,  Dr.  Langdon,  on  high  blood-pressure           . .  . .     119 

fi«nc/i,  Dy.,  on  pruritus            ..          ..          ..          ..  ..      214 

Butcher,  Dr.  Deane,  on  action  of  radium      . .          . .  . .     237 

Butlin,  Dr.,  on  spontaneous  reduction  of  tumours  . .     229 

Cancer,  author's  work  and  theories  in  respect  of    . .  226-34 

blood-supply  in,  controlled  by  neuroinduction  230-1 

breast,  of  the,  successfully  treated. .          . ,  . .     227 

cause  of           . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     221 

cheerfulness,  effect  of,  in      . .          . .          . .  . .     229 

,,        cheering  effect  of  new  remedies  in  . .          . .  , .     230 

connective  tissue,  part  played  by,  in          . .  . .     235 

defensive  reaction  of . .          ..          ..          ..  ..     225 

radium  treatment  of ,  suggestive  factor  in  ..     230 

,,       spontaneous  reduction  of      ..          ..          ..  226,  229 

,,        suggestion  and            ..          ..          ..          ..  226-7 

,,       technique  of  neuroinductive  treatment  of  . .     238 


INDEX  331 

I'ACES 

Cannon,  ProJ.,  on  the  digestive  process  in  cats  . .  . .      138 

on  sphincters  of  the  intestine  ..  ..      144 

Carcinoma,  causes  of    . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .     221 

radium  treatment  of       ..          ..  ..  ..     225 

"  Cat  and  spider  sense  "          . .          . .          . .  . .  ^ .       65 

Charlatanry  and  psychotherapy         . .          . .  . .  •  •         4 

Children,  see  Young,  the 

Chloroform,  abuse  of    . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  194-6 

hysterical  contracture,  in  cases  of  . .  . .       49 

Chorea    . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  •  ■   80-4 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction     . .  . .  . .    80-2 

,,        children,  in      . .          . .          . .          . .  .  .  . .        83 

,,        uric  acid  diathesis  in             .  .          .  .  . .  . »       83 

"  Circling "        5.   24 

Claustrop)iobia              .  .          . .          . .          . .  . .  51,  58-61 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction   . .  . .       59 

Cocaine,  abuse  of          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .     191 

severe  case  of          ..          ..  ..  ..      193 

,,           ,,          vicious  circling  in  . .          ..  ..  191-2 

Conflict,  cerebral,  a  cause  of  neurasthenia  . .  . .  . .       21 

Constipation,  cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  140,  141,  142, 

147.  177 

cause  of..          ..          ..          ..  ..  ..      143 

Contagiousness,  delusion  of     ..          ..          ..  ..  ..113 

Contractures,  due  to  traumatisms     . .          .  .  . .  .  .    46-7 

,,             hysterical           . .          . .          . .  . .  . .       49 

,,                      ,,         operations  upon     . .  . .  . .     203 

,,  manipulation  of  . .  . .  . .     ^     . .       49 

,,              neuroinductive  treatment  of  . .  . .  . .     203 

Co-operation  of  the  patient     ..          ..          ..  ..  273,  277 

"  Cornering  "  patients              . .          . .           .  .  .  .  . .    21-2 

Criminal,  mental  aberration  in  the    . .          . .  . .  . .     256 

Criminal  inclinations,  analysis  of       . .  . .  . .      249,  255-6 

treatment  of   ..          ..  ..  244-56 

Criticism  a  cause  of  neurosis  .  .          . .          . .  . .  26,  32 

Cruelty,  early    . .          . .          . .          . .          .  .  . .  . .     250 

Cruise,  Sir  Francis       . .          . .          .  .          .  .  . .  . .    76-7 

Deafness,  functional     ..          ..          ..          ..  ..  123,126 

Deceit,  harmful  effects  of        . .          . .          . .  . .  . .     306 

Degeneration,  stigmata  of       . .          .  .          . .  . .  . .        39 

Dementia,  acute           ,.         ..          ..          ..  ..  ..  lo-ii 

Dementia  praecox         . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .     121 

herpes  in  conjunction  with  ..  205-6 

self -analysis  in      ..          ..  ..  ..121 

Diabetes,  authorities,  various,  on      . .          . .          . .  180-1 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction    ..  ..  ..      179 

Jews  liable  to           ..          ..          ..  ..  ..      179 

psychotherapy  and             ..          ..  ..  ..178-9 

strain,  due  to           . .          . .          . .  .  ^  1 77-80 

Diagnosis  expressed  io  terms  of  "  circling  '\          . ,  , .       25 


332 


ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 


Diarrhoea  treated  by  neuroinduction 
Digestive  secretions,  emotions  control  flow  of 

effect  of  shock  on 
Dipsomania,  the  neurotic  factor  in    .  . 
Discord,  cerebral,  a  cause  of  neurasthenia 
Distaro,  Dr.,  on  constipation  . . 
Dove,  Dr.  Ernest,  on  cancer     .  . 
Dropping  articles,  dread  of 
Drugs,  abuse  of  . .  .  .  . .  . .  ii,  24, 

epileptic  history  and 
negative  arcs  in 
moral  effects  of  abuse  of 
useless  in  case  of  insomnia 
Duodenal  ulcer,  the  neurotic  factor  in 
Duval  and  Rubens  on  tumours 
])war{ism,  case  treated  by  neuroinduction 
Dyspepsia,  cause  of      .  . 

infantile,  cured  bj''  treatment  of  mother 
neuroinduction,-  treated  by 
neurotic     . . 

Early  moral  and  educational  effects  and  uses  of 
induction     . .  . .  . . 

Eczemas,  neuroinductive  treatment  of 
Education,  neuro-induction  as  an  auxiliary  in 
Embezzling,  a  case  of  . . 
Emotional  process 

value  of     . . 
Employment  of  neurotic  patients 
Enterostasis 
Epilepsy 

astigmatism  predisposing  to 
, ,  cases  treated  . .  .  .  .  .        69 

fear  of  fits  in 

medical  treatment  powerless 
Epileptiform  seizures   . . 

,,         astigmatism  predisposing  to 
Epithelioma 
Erythema  .  .  .  .  .  .  . .  .  .    ' 

Eye,  sensitiveness  of,  to  suggestion  . . 
Eyestrain 

importance  of,  as  predisposing  -factor 
severe  case  of 
Exophthalmic  goitre,  arthritis,  in  conjunction  with 

intoxication  a  suggested  cause  of 
treated  by  neuroinduction    .. 


PAGES 

148-9 

154 
284 
190 

21 
143 
233 
63-4 
190-7 
197 
197 
196 

26 

134 
225 
187 

135 
188-9 

136-7 
134 


Failures 


alcoholism,  in  cases  of 
mental  deficiency,  due  to 
physical  defects  overlooked,  due  to 


neuro- 

257-66 

208,  215 

257.8 

39 

283-4 

..      306 

■  •    32-3 

••      153 

68-72 

••    73-5 

70.  71.  73-5 

69-70 

72 
72-5 
73-5 
221 
205 
132 
127 
151-2 

132-3 
.  186 
.  186 
.      183 

315-23 
320-2 

•      315 
316-17 


126-8, 


INDEX 


333 


.  •         307 
260-2 

. .  -245 
262 
263 

173-4 
166-7 

57 

36,  07 

•  •      305 

233 

299-300 

41.  295 

30 

41 
299-300 

123-133 
124-5 
125 


Falsehood,  association  effected  by  detection  of 
children,  in 
detection  of  . .  . .  .  . 

kleptomania,  in    . . 
nervous  sufferers,  in 
vicious  circling  in 
Fear  in  asthma 

Fishberg,  Dr.  Maurice,  on  psychology  of  phthisis 
Fits,  fear  of 
Food,  refusal  of 
Force,  use  of      . . 
Fowler,  Dr.  Frank,  on  cancer 
Freud,  sexual  factor  exaggerated  by 
Freud's  analysis 
system.. 
,,        "  word  association  "    . 

harm  done  by 
Function,  restoration  of 

colour-blindness,  treatment  of 
,,  ,,  difficult  and  impossible  cases 

,,  ,,  indviction,  by  ..  ..  ..      125 

memory,  loss  of,  treatment  for   .  .      125 
sudden    recovery   from    deafness, 

dumbness,  blindness     .  .  . .      123 

theory  of     . .  . .  . .  . .  123-4 

Future  of  psychotherapy,  the  . .  . .  . .  ..  324-7 

Futurism  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  . .     326 

Gastric  juice,  central  control  of          . .          . .          . .  . .  139 

,,         ,,       initial  flow  of,  due  to  psychic  factors  ..  153 

Gastric  ulcer,  neurotic  factors  in        ..          ..          ..  ..  134 

Gastro-enteritis,  neuroinductive  treatment  of          . .  . .  218 

Gastro-intestinal  disorders,  emotional  influence  in.  .  . .  153 

German  science  and  scientists,  over- valuation  of    . .  . .  292 

Gibson,  G.  A.,  on  neurotic  origin  of  asthma             .  .  . .  172 

,,         ,,       on  emotional  causation  of  Graves'  disease  185 

Gland  functioning,  disorders  of          ..          ..          ..  176-89 

Glands,  the,  induction,  effects  of,  on            . .          .  .  .  .  177 

,,             opotherapy,  effects  of,  on         . .          . .  .  .  177. 

,,              secretions  of,  affected  by  induction    ..  ..  177 

influenced  by  neurones       . .  .  .  18 

suggestion,  effects  of,  on           ..          ..  ..  177 

Glycosuria,  authorities,  various,  on  . .  . .  . .  180-2 

,,  caused  by  shock,  cured  by  rest. .  . .  180-1 

opium  in    ....          ..          ..          ..  ..  181 

pancreas,  effect  of,  in      . .          . .          .  .  . .  182 

Goitre,  see  Exophthalmic  goitre.  Graves'  disease,  Thyroid, 

Myxoedema 

Goodhart,  Sir  James,  on  mucous  colitis         . .          . .  . .  150 

on  tumours       ..          ..          ..  ..     220 

Could,  Sir  Alfred  Pearcc,  on  cancer  . .          . .          . .  . .  232 


334  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

HAGBS 

Graves*  disease,  treated  by  neuroinduction             . .  182-3 

Gynaecology       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  239-43 

Haemorrhoids,  caises  treated  by  neuroinduction      . .  198-200 

prolapse  of,  severe  case         . .          .  .  . .     200 

Hall,  Dr.  Haviland,  on  high  blood-pressure             . .  . .      119 

Hallucinations  ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  ..278 

Haut  mal           . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  68,   69 

Hay  asthma      . .          . .          . .          . ,          . .          . .  . .     130 

severe  cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  ..     175 

Heart  and  circulation,  disorders  of  the         .  .          . .  155-60 

treated     by     neuroinduc- 
tion        .  .          . .  155-6 

Heart,  cardiac  irregularity,  cases  of,  treated           . .  136 
failure  of  the     . . 


158-60 

13-M 

91 

62-3 

62-3 

207 


panic 
Heights,  fear  of 

, ,         , ,         cases  treated  by  neuroinduction    . . 
Herpes,  due  to  shock  . . 

lips,  of  the       ..          ..          ..  ..  ..  205-6 

vaso-motor  neurosis,  a          ..  ..  ..  207-8 

Hiccough,  treatment  of           . .          . .  . .  . .  . .    95-6 

Hill,  Dr.  Leonard,  on  diabetes            . .  . .  . .  . .     182 

Holmes,  Dr.  Gordon      . .         . .          . .  . .  . .  . .     103 

Homicidal  inclinations            . .         . .  . .  . .  250-4 

,,                   „           gestation,  during  . .  . .  . .     254 

,,                   „           girl  student,  in  a  . .  . .  252-3 

,,                   ,,           sexual  factors  of  . .  . .  . .     252 

,,                   ,,           vanity  a  factor  of  . .  . .  254-5 

Hyperhidrosis,  neuroinductive  treatment  of  . .  213-14 

treatment  of,  by  cautery  and  X  rays  . .     213 

Hypnosis,  true  . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  . .     272 

not  the  best  state  for  suggestion  ..  ..     273 

Hypnotic  suggestion     . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  . .     273 

failure  of              .  -  . .  . .  . .     277 

,,             ,,            not  recommended  .,  ..  ..          6 

Hypnotism,  early  prejudice  against  . .  .  .  . .  . .          i 

Hysteria             . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  40-50 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  . .  . .  41-2,  44-5 

dissimulation  in        . .          . .  . .  . .  40.  45 

enjoyment  of            . .          .  .  . .  . .  . .       41 

environment  in         . .          .  .  .  .  . .  . .        43 

fear  of  revelations  in           .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        43 

Freud's  analysis  of    . .          . .  . ,  . .  . .       41 

history  of       . .          .  .           .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        40 

hygienic  treatment  of          . .  . .  . .  .  .       45 

induction  and  self -analysis  in  . .  . .  . .    41-2 

love  affairs  and        . .          . .  . .  . .  . .        44 

„        oscillating  progress  of         . .  . .  . .  . .     42-3 

,,        relatives  and            . .          . .  . .  . .  •  •       43 

Hysterical  artifice         ■.  . .  . .  38,    io-i 


INDEX 


Hysterical  contracture 
oedema 


theories  of 


Ileum,  terminal  sphincter  of  the 
Impotence,  functional 
"  Incorrigibies  "  and  psychotherapy 
"  Incurables  "  cured    . . 
Induction,  definition  of 
effects  of 

,,  suspicious  patients,  how  applied 

Inflammation,  definition  of     . . 
Insane,  the,  anger  harmful  in  treatment  of 
,,  asylum  treatment  of  the 

hallucinations  of 
,,  induction  in  treatment  of 

,,  research,  lack  of,  concerning 

, ,  suggestion  in  treatment  of 

Insomnia 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction 

idea  of  inability  to  sleep  in,  the 
Intestinal  flora  . . 
Intestines,  neuroinduction  of  the 
Intoxication  in  constipation  . . 


to 


JejfeHes,  Dr.  F.  B..  on  herpes 

Jung \ . 

,,     analysis,  his  methods  of 

,,     his  system 


Keith,  Prof.,  on  the  ileum 
Keratosis  senilis 
Kleptomania 

,,  ambition,  thwarted,  a  cause  of 

,,  analysis  of 

,,  cases  treated  by  neuroinduction 

,,  sexual  strain  in 

„  toxaemia  in 

„  trauma,  early,  responsible  for 


Lacrymation,  excessive 

Lane,  Dr.  Arbuthnot,  on  constipation 

Laryngeal  disabilities  . . 

Latham,  Dr.  Arthur,  on  asthma 

"  Laying-on  of  hands  " 

Literature,  demoralising 

Lourdes  . . 

Lunatics,  confidences  of  supposedly  unconscious 


335 

PAGES 

48-9 

49-50 

..  48 

..         144 
.  .        lOI 

259,  260 
II 

23, 269 
••  23-4 

35 
219 

• .  305 
107 

..  278 
108-9 

..  108 
107-8 
19-28 

26-7,  35. 

264-5 

19,  21-2 

••  143 
146 

••      143 


206-7 

4 
291,  295 

30 


.      144 

221-2 

244-50 

.      249 

•  244 
245-9 
246-7 

.  247 
247-8 

.      127 

•  143 
.    91-6 

170 
124 

•  265 
.  124 
.      286 


Macleod,  ProJ.,  on  diabetes     . .  . .  . .  . .  . .      180 


S56  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

PAGES 

Malingering        .  .           .  .           .  .           .  .          . ,          .  .  . .    30-1 

Manipulation     .  .           .  .           .  .           .  .          146,    276,  286-7,    3^8 

Marsden,  Dr.  A^pinall,  on  nerve  influence  in  cancer  . .      235 

Masturbation     . .          . .          . .          , .          . .          . ,  100-4 

negative  circling  in      ,.          ..          ..  .  .      loi 

tendency  of       ..          ..          ..          ..  102-3 

McKenna,  My.,  on  demoralising  literature  . .          .  .  . .      265 

McNevin,  Dr.,  on  emotional  influence  in  gastro-intestinal 

disorders     . .  . .  .  .  .  .  . .  153 

Medical  men,  bad  patients      .  .          .  .          . .          . .  193-4 

drugs,  liable  to  abuse  of          ..           ..  ..      194 

Medical  Society  of  London,  discussion  of  phthisis  by  . .      163 

Medicinal  treatment,  when  advisable            .  ,           .  .  .  .        24 

Melancholia,  cases  treated  by  neuroindiiction         .  .  37-8,    109 

Memory,  loss  of,  treated  by  neuroinduction      125-6,  257,  287-8 
Menstruation,     success    of     psychotherapy    in    disorders 

of        239-40 

,,             irregular  cases,  neuroinduction  in     . .  240-1 

negative  arcs  in  irregular        . .           .  .  .  .      241 

Milk,  secretion  of,  affected  by  suggestion     . .          , .  189,  243 

Miller,  Dr.  C.  H.,  on  auricular  fibrillation    .  .          . .  . .     257 

Moral  effects  of  neuroinduction          . .          . .          .  .  257-66 

Morbid  growths             . .          . .          . .          .  .          . .  219-38 

causation  of              ..          ..          ..  219-22 

Morison,  Prof.  Rutherford,  on  inflammation            . .  . .     219 

Morphia,  abuse  of         . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  102,  91 

severe  cases,  neuroinduction  in  192-6 

vicious  "  circling  "in      .  .           .  .  191-2 

Mothers,  expectant       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .     243 

vanity  in,  leads  to  homicidal  ideas    .  .  254-5 

Moullin,  Dr.  Mansell,  on  tumours     .  .          . .          . .  220-1 

Mucous  colitis    .  .  .  .  ....  .  .  146,  149-54 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction      ..  149,    150-2 

nature  of  '        .  ,           .  .           .  .           . .  .  .      1 49 

negative  "  circling "  in          ..          ..  151-2 

Mucous  secretions,  control  of  the       . .          .  .          . .  . .      130 

Mutilation,  savage,  a  case  of  . .          .  .          .  .          . .  251-2 

Myxoedema        . .          .  •          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .      183 

Nasal  troubles  ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ••  130-1 

Negative  "  circling  "    . .  . .  . .  .  .  5,  -^5,  285,  31 -" 

drug-taking,  in             . .          . .  190-1 

examples  of       .  .           .  .           .  .  .  .        25 

hysteria,  in        ..          ..          ..  ..       45 

,,              ,,              opposition  of,  by  positive       .  .  25,  32 

Neurasthenia,  central  origin  of           . .          . .          . .  . .        29 

cunning,  in  cases  of    .  .           .  .           . .  20,  38-9 

elucidated  by  psychasthenia           ^..  ..        29 

,,            eyestrain  a  cause  of               . .          . .  127-9 

,,            severe  cases  of             . .          . .          . .  15-16,    28 

toxecmia  in       . .          . .          . .          . .  . .       29 


INDEX  337 

PAGES 

Neuroindtiction  . .         . .         . .         . .         ....         2 

cancer,  in  treatment  of     . .          . .  226-38 

constipation,  the  best  cure  for     . .  . .      177 

,,                 definition  of            . .          . .          . .  4-5,  270 

,,                 demands  on  patient  made  by      . .  . .         7 

,,                 hair,  effects  of,  upon  the  . .          . .  . .     216 

„                hypnosis,  superiority  over            . .  6-7, 275 

,,                 physical  system,  effects  of,  on  the  . .     280 

,,                preventive  powers  of         . .          . .  . .     327 

,,                 skin,  effects  of,  on  the       . .          . .  216-17 

,,                 technique  of,  offer  to  teach           . .  3-4,  269-89 

„                 treatment  by,  nature  of    . .          . .  . .     275 

,,                 vaso-motor  effects  of         . .          . .  . .     238 

,,                war,  cases  incidental  to,  treated  by  267-8 

Neurone  strain  due  to  psychic  traumatism . .          . .  . .    46-7 

Neuroses            . .          . .          . .          . ,          . .          . .  19-96 

Neurosis             . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          8 

Night  terrors     . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  76-80 

Nurse  treated  for  duplicity     . .          . .          . .          . .  •  •     195 

Nursemaids  often  responsible  for  phobias  and  traumatisms       54 

Obstetrics          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  242-3 

dread  of  parturition  removed    . .          . .  242-3 

sleep  obtained  during  childbirth           ,.  ..     242 

CEdema,  hysterical       . .          . ,          . .          . .          . .  . ,       48 

lower  limb,  of           ..          ..          ..          ..  ..     201 

neuroinductive  treatment  of          . .          . .  . .     202 

(Esophageal  disabilities          . .          , .          . .          . .  . .    91-6 

spasms,  case  treated      ..         ..          ..  ..    93-4 

Organotherapy  in  conjunction  with  neuroinduction  ..      188 

Ormerod,  Dr.,  on  hysteria        . .          . .          . .          . .  . .       50 

Osier,  Prof.,  on  colitis  . .          ....          . .          . .  . .     149 

Over-eating  a  cause  of  high  blood  pressure              . .  . .     119 

Pancreas,  effect  of,  on  diabetes         ..         182 

Paranoia            ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..  no,   278 

vicious  arcs  in          ..          ..          ..          ..  ..no 

Paresis    . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .       49 

Pavloff's  researches  concerning  the  digestive  juices  134,  138-9 

Patient,  what  is  asked  of  the             . .          . .          . .  . .      6-7 

Pemphigus,  extraordinary  case  of     . .          . .          . .  209-12 

Pende,  Prof.,  on  the  endocrine  apparatus    . .          . .  . .     189 

Pernet,  Dr.  George,  on  psoriasis          . .          . .          . .  215-16 

Perverseness      . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .       36 

Pharyngeal  disabilities            . .          . .          . .         . .  . .    91-6 

Phobias 50-68 

analysis  of     . .          . .         . .          . .          . .  . .    51-2 

cases  of  rapid  cure  . .  . .  67-8,   293-4,    295-6 

causes  of       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .    51-5 

drugs,  relating  to     . .          . .          . .          . .  . .       20 

malingering  of  sufferers  from        . .         . .  59-61 

22 


338  ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 

PAGES 

Phobias,  psychasthema,  m     . .          . .          . .          . .  30,  50 

sexual  element  ot     . .          . .          . .          . .  66,  296 

treatment  of..          ..          ..          ..          ..  ..    55.8 

various          . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .    57-8 

see    Agoraphobia,    Batophobia,   Claustrophobia, 
Photophobia,  etc. 

Photophobia 127,131 

Phthisis 161-7 

etiology  of 164-5 

inherited  tendency  to         . .          . .          . .  . .     165 

,,         negative  "  circling  "in       . .  . .  161,  162,  166 

positive  "  circling "  in        ..          ..          ..  162-3,166 

psychology  of           ..          ..          ..          ..  166-7 

,,         sanatorium  treatment  of    . .          . .          . .  163-4 

Pierce,  Dr.  Bedford,  on  psycho-analysis        . .          . .  . .     290 

Pituitary  gland,  effect  of  suggestion  upon   . .         . .  186-7 

„          ,,       cancer  in       ..          ..          ..          ..  ..     236 

„           ,,       treated  in  case  of  dwarfism            . .  . .     187 

Polyglandular  action,  effects  of  suggestion  on        . .  . .     184 

Polypus 130,  170 

asthma  a  cause  of      . .         . .         . .         . .  . .     171 

Positive  "  circling  " 5.  25,  32 

Precocity  in  education,  dangers  of    . .         . .         . .  . .     258 

Premature  old  age 237 

Primula  poisoning        215 

Prolapse  of  haemorrhoids        200 

Prolapsus  ani     . .          . .          .  •          • .          . .          . .  . .       16 

in  child,  treatment  of,  by  neuroinduction    199-200 

Pruritus             214-15 

X-ray  treatment  of             ..          ..          ..  214-15 

Psoriasis,  CO2  snow  treatment  of      . .          . .          . .  208-9 

severe  case  of,  treated  by  neuroinduction  . .     216 

Psychasthenia    . .         . .         .  •         • .         . .         • .  28-39 

analysis  in,  necessity  of      . .          . .  . .       30 

,,              cases  treated  by  neuroinduction,  30,  32,  33, 

33-4.  35-6.  36-7>  37-8.  38-9,  46-7,  130,  131 

defensive  attitude  in           . .         . .  . .    31-2 

definition  of  . .          ..          ..          ..  ..29-30 

dyspepsia,  with        ..         ..         ..  137-8 

eyestrain,  caused  by           ..          ..  127-9 

hysteria  and  falsehood  in  . .          . .  . .     263 

hysterical,  with  phobias      ..          ..  ..     131 

phobias  in     ..          ..          ..          ..  3°' ^3^ 

warfare,  cases  of,  special  to           . .  . .       39 

Psycho-analysis,  see  Thought  analysis 

Psychology  of  neuroinduction,  the    . .          . .          . .  269-89 

Psychoses           . .          . .          . .          . .          . .          •  -  106-22 

Psychotherapy,  difficulty  of  ..          ..          ..          ..  ..       13 

first  experiment  in,  the  author's   ..  ..         r 

future  of,  the            324-7 

,,               limitations  of            ..          ..          ..  ..       38 


INDEX  339 

PAGES 

Psychotherapy,  origin  of,  the            . .         . .  . .         . .         i 

,,              prejudice  against     . .          . ,  . .              i,  12 

rules  for  practice  of             . .  ..            302-14 

technique  of,  offer  to  teach  ..         ..      3-4 

Puberty  and  acne         ..          ..          ..          ..  ..          ..     218 

Puerperal  mania           . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          . .     255 

Pulmonary  conditions              ..          ..          ..  ..      16,  161-75 

Pustule,  shrinking  of,  under  neuroinduction  . .             223-4 

Radium,  action  of,  on  leucocjrtes  and  haemorrhage . ,  . .     237 

bloodvessels,  obliteration  of,  by     ..  ..             237-8 

cancer  and  carcinoma,  in  treatment  of,  225-6,  228,  230, 

^^     .  235. 237-8 

Rationale  of  neuroinduction  . .          . .          . .  . .            269-89 

Read,  conviction  of  inabiUty  to         . .          . .  . .          . .    34-5 

Receptivity        . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          . .          7 

Relaxation,  physiological  and  mental           . .  270,  275-7,  281 

Repressed  ideas            . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          . .         8 

Rheumatism  and  chorea         . .          . .          . .  . .          . .    82-3 

Rohinski  on  hjrsteria    . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          . .       49 

Roentgen  rays,  see  X  rays 

Saenger,  Dr.  M.,  on  fear  in  asthma   . .          . .  . .             173-4 

Saint,  Dr.  C.  F.  M..  on  tumours       . .          . .  . .           219-20 

Saliva  controlled  by  suggestion  and  emotion  . .        134,  154 

Savill,  Dr.,  on  hysteria            . .          . .          . .  . .          . .       49 

Scare,  a  case  of,  due  to  sexual  perversion    . .  . .              264-5 

Scott,  Dr.  Bodley,  on  Graves'  disease            . .  . .          . .     185 

Scott,  Dr.  Gilbert,  on  stigmata  produced  by  suggestion       222-3 

Sea-sickness       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          . .       32 

Self -analysis,  in  hysteria         ..          ..          ..  ..          ..    41-^ 

in  malingering              ..          ..  ..          ..       31 

in  neurasthenia            . .          . .  . .              295-6 

in  neuroinductive  treatment  ..              292-3 

Sexual  factor,  the,  in  psychasthenia             . .  . .          . .     299 

inversion           ..          ..          ..          ..  ..  104-5,322-3 

perversion         . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  264-5,  322-3 

Shirlaw,  Dr.  J.  T.,  on  cancer 236 

on  ductless  glands          ..  ..          ..     220 

Sing- Sing  Prison,  report  of  the  director  of  the  clinic  in    . .     256 

Skin  disorders   . .         . .         . .         . .         • .  •  •           204-18 

difficulty  of  treatment  by  neuroinduction      209 

Smell,  sense  of,  restored          ..          ..          ..  ..          ..131 

Smith,  Dr.Bellingham,  on  asthma  in  children  . .              171-2 

Somnambulism             . .          . .          . .          .  •  .  •              76-80 

case  treated  by  neuroinduction  . .             76-80 

hypnotism,  treated  by        ..  ..         ..       77 

Speech,  defects  of        . .         . .         . .         . .  . .             85-91 

paralysis  of     . .          . .          • .          .  •  •  •          •  •       9° 

Spinal  curvature           . .          . .          . .          . .  . .          •  •       17 

Spoiled  children            . .          . .          . .          . .  • .              258-9 


340  ADVANCEJD  SUGGESTION 

rA(;Ks 

Stammering       . .          . .          .  .          . .          . .  . .  85-91 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction         .  .  86,  90 

extreme  cases  in             . .          . .  . .  . .       90 

falsehood  and     . .          .  .          . .  . .  . .       85 

malingering,  in  cases  of             . .  . .  S6-7 

negative  "  circling  "  in .  .          ..  ..  85,   90 

public  speaking  as  a  cure  for   ..  ..  ..        88 

singing  and  whispering  words  as  a  cure  for  . .        88 

treatment  of,  by  neuroinduction  .  .  . .    87-9 

Stasis,  intestinal            .  .          . .          .  .          . .  .  .  . .        29 

Stoney,  Dr.,  on  thyroid  hyperactivity            .  .  .  .  . .      185 

Subconscious,  the,  definition  of  .  .  . .  3,  22,  276,  2S9 

,,         ,,               the  superconscious           .  ,  .  .  7-8,    268 

training,  in  America       .  .           .  .  .  .  .  .      ..'58 

Subconsciousness,  prodviction  of        . .           .  .  .  .  280-1 

Suggestion          . .          .  .          . .           .  .          .  .  .  .  .  .          (> 

,,           anaesthesia,  under            .  .          .  .  .  .  . .     288 

,,           cancer  and             . .          .  .          . .  . .  2.26-34 

,,           conversion  to  use  of         . .          .  .  .  .  .  .        10 

,,           direct  and  indirect           ..          ..  ..  311-12 

dread  of     .  .           .  .          .  .           .  .  . .  .  .        26 

hypnosis  and         . .           .  .           . .  . .  .  .          6 

not  the  best  state  for  treatment  by         273 

,,           objection  to  use  of  term              . .  . .  269,  271 

stigmata  produced  by     ..          ..  ..  222-3 

warts  cured  by     . .          . .          .  .  .  .  ^23-4 

Suicidal  obsession  due  to  abuse  t-f  tea       . .          . .  11 7-1.8 

Suicide,  attempted,  by  exposure        ..          ..  ..  116-17 

motives  of       .  .          .  .          .  .           . .  .  .  111-14 

threats  to  commit      ..          ..          ..  ..  111-18 

Superconscious,  the      . .          . .          .  .          .  .  .  .  . .      270 

,,               in  the  insane              . .          .  .  .  .  . .     279 

Supraconscious,  the      . .          . .          . .          .  .  . .  . .     285 

,,            ,,             definition  of      ..          ..  ..  ..          5 

„            ,,             induction  in  the           ..  ..  ..       92 

Surgical  conditions       . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  198-203 

Suspicion,  bad  effects  of          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .     271 

Swallow,  inability  to    . .           . .          . .          . .  . .  . .    91-2 

Sympathetic  system,  disorders  of  the           .  .  . .  284-5 

,,            influenced  by  neuroinduction  271-2 

Synapsis             . .          . .          . .          • .          . .  . .  . .     274 

Tachycardia       . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .        14 

Tea,  obsession  of  suicide  caused  by  ..          ..  ..  117-18 

Technique  of  neuroinduction              . .          . .  . .  269-89 

faulty             ..  ..  ..     312 

,,                 offer  to  teach  ,.  ..      3-4 

Thought  analysis          . .          . .          • .          . .  . .  290-301 

should  be  accomplished  first  by  patient        297 

self  analysis            ..          ..  ..  292-3 


INDEX 


341 


Thyroid  enlargement,  caused  by  fear           * .  . .  . .     184 

reduced  by  lin.  iodi  ..  ..  ..     184 

glaod,  in  cancer         . .         . .         . .  . .  . .     236 

neuroinduction  of  the           ..  ..  182-4 

palpation  of  doubtful  effect  in  treatment  of  183-4 

,,       X  rays  in  treatment  of         ..  ..  185-6 

sec  Exophthalmic  goitre,  Graves'  disease, 
Myxoedema,  etc. 

Timidity,  inherited       . .          . .          . .          . .  • .  . .       30 

Toxaemia,  arc  of  negative  "  circling,"  an     . .  . .  . .       71 

cause  of  high  blood-pressure,  a   . .  . .  . .      119 

neurasthenia,  in     ..          ..          ..  ..  ..       29 

Traumata,  psychical    . .          . ,          . .          . .  . .  . .       30 

,,         neurasthenia,  a  cause  of  ..  ..    46-7 

,,         pemphigus,  in  a  case  of  ,  .  209-12 

,,         phobias,  a  cause  of      ..  50-5,  58,  61,  67 

,,                ,,         skin  diseases,  in           ..  ..  ..     209 

Tremor  . .         . .         . .         . .  » .  . .       82 

Tuckey,  Dr.  Lloyd         . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  2,  4,  76 

Tumours,  see  Morbid  growths 

Tttrner,  Dr.  Dawson,  on  cancer           . .          . .  . .  . .     237 


Unconscious,  the 
Uric  acid  in  chorea 
Urination,  disorders  of 


279 

80-1 

97-105 

cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  97,  98, 

100 

.    97-8 

97 

99 

206 

.      207 

17 


enuresis 


111 


induction  and  suggestion 
mental  weakness  in 

Urticaria 

vaso-motor  neurosis,  a 

Uterine  impressions,  transmission  of 

Valvular  disease  of  the  heart 
Vanity,  a  motive  of  suicide    . . 
Varicose  veins  . . 
Vaso-motor  control 

,,         mechanism,  controlled  by  induction  169 


H 


227, 


158 
114 
200-2 

4b 

231-2, 

238 

49 
237 


spasm 
Verteuil,  Dr.  Fernand  de,  on  cancer  . . 

Vertigo  . .          . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  . .    72-3 

,,  <i    cases  treated  by  neuroinduction  ..  ..  ..    73-4 

Vicious  circles    . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  5.   24 

Visceroptosis     ..          ..          ..          ..  ..  ..  ..     137 

,,             negative  "  circling "  in.  ..  ..  ..     137 

War,  cases  incidental  to,  value  of  neuroinduction  in  267-8 

shock       . .          . .          . .          . .  . .  . .  . .         8 

Warfare,  psychasthenia  special  to     . .  . .  . .  . .       39 


342 


ADVANCED  SUGGESTION 


Warts  cured  by  suggestion     . . 

Weariness  of  neurasthenia  a  central  phenomenon 

Weathevly,   Dr.  L.   A.,   on  poor  recovery  rate  : 

asylums 
West,  Sir  Samuel,  on  asthma 
White,  Hale,  on  diabetes 
Will-power         . .  . . 

Williamson,  Dr.  O.  K.,  on  high  blood-pressure 
Wilson,  Dr.  Kinnier,  on  Graves*  disease 
Work,  sense  of  inability  to     . .  . .  . . 

X  rays,  cancer,  in  treatment  of 

effect  of,  possibly  due  to  suggestion 
scars  due  to    . . 

Young,  the,  amenability  of,  to  neuroinduction 
, ,  receptivity  of      . . 

,,  training  of 


Zoophobia 


cases  tr«ated  by  neuroinduction 
sexual  factor  in    . . 


insane 


167, 


32 


224 
29 

122 
1 70- 1 
1 80-1 
272 
102 
i8o-i 
.  33-4 


233-4.  237 

185-6,  228 

. .     222 


265-6 

•     257 
257-66 


51.  65-7 
..  66-7 
..       66 


Bailliire,  Tindall  and  C«x,  8,  Henrietta  Street,  Coveni  Garden 


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